Leading Women Led by Women
Pooja Bhatt returns, new Netflix originals, another Harshad Mehta story, and more.
I hope you haven’t missed me too much! I know it’s been a while, and there have been some new releases out, but I’m finally catching up and excited to bring you more reviews and a now-lengthy coming soon section! With Netflix recently announcing their entire 2021 slate, Amazon and Hotstar haven’t been too far behind in at least sharing upcoming spring releases. So, without much further ado, let’s get to it!
[Fun Bonus: I was recently on Kajal Mag’s “The Cardamom Pod” talking about all things Kitty Party, including the evolving world of Indian streaming and how I can manage to rewatch problematic Bollywood classics. Be sure to give it a listen!]
Here’s a brief list of what’s released recently, ICYMI: “Bombay Rose” on Netflix; “Teddy” (A remake of “Ted” in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam) on Hotstar; “The Wife” on Zee 5; and “Picasso” (Marathi) on Amazon.
What I’ve Been Watching
Bringing Serialized Women to Streaming: “Bombay Begums” | Netflix
It’s quite a thing to see film director Alankrita Shrivastava (“Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare,” “Lipstick Under My Burkha”) armed with an ensemble cast full of women and an extended format of web series.
“Bombay Begums” is, at first glance, all that it’s chalked up to be: a story of five women in Mumbai, whose lives intertwine with one another in a variety of ways. After “Dolly Kitty,” one of my most favorite recent films, I was extremely excited to see Shrivastava’s newest work. The show starts off breaking obvious barriers: depicting women in the workplace, with drama playing out in the boardroom instead of in the kitchen, is progress. After all, bringing desire, sexuality, ambition and shades of gray to female characters is what Shrivastava does best.
But as the series drags on, it feels as if we can’t quite grasp why we’re rooting for some of these characters. Rani (Pooja Bhatt), as the CEO of the bank and the trunk of this show’s sprawling character tree, is quick to cut down other women and seems to have no problem being complicit in an environment that takes advantage of other women. It’s appalling that we don’t find out much about her meteoric career rise until near the end of the season, after all hope seems sort of lost. Bhatt is emphatic in her return to the screen, and is mesmerizing as the powerhouse embodiment of an unapologetic woman — but some of her stoicism hides the shades of Rani that should’ve maybe endeared the audience to her.
I was a bit miffed by Ayesha (Plabita Borthakur). While it was nice to see bisexuality explored in a show like this, I was left wondering if the character did more harm than good depicting bisexual people as being unable to decide who they’re attracted to. Overall, her sexuality takes the backseat to her actual struggle, and while that could’ve normalized it, I felt like it made her bisexuality stick out like a sore thumb even more.
Lily, played by Amruta Subhash, is my favorite of the pack, uniting the women in a cause that carries them through each other’s lives for much of the show. She’s the most upfront about her flaws while being self-aware of what the world’s perception of her as a sex worker is. She’s in pain, but also capable of being vulnerable and still a bit hopeful about the world around her.
All in all, the show brings forth power-packed female performances with a unique premise that certainly moves the needle forward. But one has to wonder why the writing lacks the same punch, relying on dry, melodramatic dialogues and an omnipotent (almost nagging) teenage narrator to explain the thematic elements that seem pretty tangible regardless. Is it that the makers assumed we wouldn’t know these queens, and all their shades, without it? That’s an unfortunate, if incorrect, assumption. The show is certainly worth a watch, but maybe temper your expectations.
You Can’t Remake Your Time: “The Girl on the Train” | Netflix
The struggle with a remake is how to bring originality to a script (or in this case, a well-known film and book of the same name) that audiences may be familiar with. The thriller penned by Paula Hawkins and brought to the big screen by the exceptional Emily Blunt already sets a high bar. Bring in Bollywood, and Parineeti Chopra, and the formula is almost sure to misfire.
Chopra stars as Mira Kapoor, a divorcee and alcoholic who gets caught up in a murder investigation. With the story not necessarily being a strong driving factor (at least for those familiar with either the film or book), I expected the filmmakers to find innovative ways to hype up the mysterious circumstances around the murder. Instead we get less than either of the originals — the most glaring of which was the lack of voices of the women at the center of the mystery. With only Mira’s side of the story, we lose the attachment to why we should even care about the murky circumstances of the night she can’t seem to remember.
Add to the muddled story a Chopra who flails in her performance without a bubbly side to the characters that she typically plays (think, “Shudh Desi Romance”). Her depiction makes Mira’s alcoholism feel sloppy and unbelievable, while also managing to make the confusion around the murder seem less intriguing. It’s been a while since I watched one of Chopra’s performances, and this film made me feel like that was probably a wise, if unintended, decision.
Also, after this disappointing remake, I couldn’t help but go back and rewatch the Emily Blunt version. It immediately jumped out as sharper and more engrossing, right fromo the start, with both the writing and the production value. India’s version is truly a missed opportunity to tell a fantastic tale, and becomes another forgettable remake in an industry that remains increasingly unoriginal (at least, off-streaming).
What I’ve Been Reading
I loved this look at how K-Dramas have found a burgeoning fan base in India. [The Juggernaut]
Writer Sam Jawed shared a Twitter thread last month after she stumbled on a collection of 1950s-60s Bollywood star photos and autographs from an old family album. [Firstpost]
I really enjoyed this profile of Vijay Varma (who you many recognize from “Gully Boy” or Season 2 of “Mirzapur”) by Ankur Pathak. [GQ India]
Lionsgate is producing a new original series, a remake of the hit American dramedy “Casual,” starring Lara Dutta and Prateik Babbar. Kunal Kohli (“Hum Tum,” “Fanaa”) will direct. [Variety]
I also enjoyed this brief history of Bollywood icon, Helen. I had no knowledge of her life story and how she got her break in films! [The Juggernaut]
Coming Soon to a Couch Near You
Spotlight: “The Big Bull” | Hotstar | Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, Ileana D’Cruz | Releasing on April 8
It’s unfortunate for Little B that “Scam 1992” blew the Harshad Mehta story out of the water late last year. (If you haven’t seen the Sony LIV series yet, what are you doing here? Go watch it right now!) The show’s success literally caused this film to be delayed, with the makers hoping that the audience would forget the impeccable Pratik Gandhi as Mehta. Alas, Lil B is no Gandhi… and this film’s Hemant may not quite be Harshad, either.
March 23: “The Illegal” | Amazon | Starring: Suraj Sharma, Shweta Tripathi, Adil Hussain
March 26: “Pagglait” | Netflix | Starring: Sanya Malhotra, Ashutosh Rana, Sheeba Chaddha
March 24: “1232 Kms” | Hotstar
March 26: “OK Computer” | Hotstar | Starring: Vijay Varma, Radhika Apte, Jackie Shroff
April 9: “Hello Charlie” | Amazon | Starring: Aadar Jain
April 16: “Ajeeb Daastaans” | Netflix | Starring: Konkona Sen Sharma, Shefali Shah, Jaideep Ahlawat
The anothology-film is all the rage these days, and so too is this Ajeeb film. Produced by Karan Johar, this bring together four stories by four directors: Shashank Khaitan, Raj Mehta, Neeraj Ghaywan and Kayoze Irani.
May 21: “Toofan” | Amazon | Starring: Farhan Akhtar
July 30: “Gangubai Kathiawadi” | Starring: Alia Bhatt
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is back, and with a new muse at that — Alia Bhatt. While this highly-anticipated film is releasing in theaters (not directly on streaming), I still had to include it!
TBD: “Hush Hush” | Amazon | Starring: Juhi Chawla, Soha Ali Khan, Shahana Goswami, Karishma Tanna, Kritika Kamra, Ayesha Jhulka
TBD: “Sardar Ka Grandson” | Netflix | Starring: Arjun Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, Neena Gupta
Honestly, there’s much more streaming content on the way, but I’ll end here for now. Did you love/hate “Bombay Begums” or “The Girl on the Train”? Are you looking forward to any upcoming shows or films? Be sure to let me know — and I’ll see you again right here next week.