It’s been a long time, friends! In the world of news, nothing has been tougher than the last couple weeks. I appreciate your patience, and luckily, there’s plenty of recent content out now (and coming soon!) that will help us get through the muck of all that’s happening around us.
Recently Released
Last week, several films released, such as “Serious Men” on Netflix and “Nishabdham” on Amazon Prime Video, as well as shows like “Bahut Hua Sammaan” on Hotstar. On Monday, we also had the surprise drop of my much-anticipated rage-watch, the docuseries “Bad Boy Billionaires: India” on Netflix. And yesterday, the film “Ginny Weds Sunny,” hit Netflix. So, what should you watch this weekend? Let’s dive in!
Pick of the Week: “Serious Men” | Netflix
Honestly, I would probably watch anything with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in it. In this film, Siddiqui does what he knows best: simple, impactful acting with a sly smirk and witty comedic delivery. The film, based on the novel of the same name by Manu Joseph, tells the story of a father (Siddiqui) who has big theories about “Serious Men” who hold power and upward class mobility as a way to fight class and caste-based discrimination. When his son is discovered as a genius, he starts to see a way to jump ahead on the mobility that might otherwise take a generation or two longer.
I really liked this film and I’m heartened by serious movies like this in Bollywood that, like “Article 15,” attempt to tell authentic caste-based stories. (I appreciate the efforts, but they’re not enough, let’s be clear.) But “Serious Men” is still able to move the needle forward — this is a strong and impactful story that shows caste-based discrimination with subtlety. Just like with queer stories, I’m moved to see films that make the identity part of the film and not the problem itself.
(Also, shoutout to the tiny human Aakshath Das, who plays Siddiqui’s son and acts wonderfully!)
Rage-Watch of the Week: “Bad Boy Billionaires” | Netflix
This investigative docuseries tells the stories of three powerful business tycoons and the greed, fraud and corruption that surrounded them: Vijay Mallya, who was known as the “King of Good Times” and tried to pivot Kingfisher from India’s biggest liquor brand to an airline; Nirav Modi, a diamond businessman who is accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank of nearly $2 billion; and Subrata Roy, the head of Sahara who is accused of scamming investors out of $4 billion.
The series was supposed to land last month, but surprise — scamming billionaires don’t like being badmouthed! Amid its legal troubles, it has finally been released, albeit with one episode (on Ramalinga Raju) cut. But the remaining three episode are incredibly powerful, and even if you’re familiar with the subjects, I highly recommend watching this, if only to make your blood boil.
I literally cannot believe the extent to which even those with family money, and loads of it, went out of their way to defraud India’s banks - and then were able to get away scot-free. And as for mister Subrata Roy, well — let’s just say that if you wrong millions of India’s poorest people, there should be a whole different penalty to pay.
Two things stand out to me after watching the series: 1) The unsurprising way in which it becomes clear that India’s financial and legal systems are lightyears behind where men with power reside. And 2) The narcissism-fueled greed: These men were able to do what they did because they truly believe the world should revolve around them, whether they’re flashy (Mallya) or quiet (Modi). Un-freaking-believable.
What I’ve Been Reading
News out of India continues to be tough to swallow, and as of late, the case of a Dalit woman who was sexually assaulted and killed in U.P. has re-ignited the focus on caste-based atrocities that continue to plague the country. I’ve been trying to learn from, and listen to, Dalit voices like Pranali Yengde’s: “My identity as a Dalit woman makes me a victim of a social construct that encourages the use of rape as a tool to punish and silence Dalits.”
Akshay Kumar recently wrapped the shooting of his upcoming film, “Bellbottom,” in Scotland. It’s being billed as one of the few global productions to begin and wrap during the pandemic, mostly thanks to the creation of — you guessed it — a bubble. He recently spoke with Deadline about how the shoot went. In one of my favorite nuggets, Kumar said he’s not interested in doing English-language content (not a big surprise!): “I’m very content with making Hindi films. It’s the language I think in, dream in; and make movies in.”
I also loved reading this news: A deal was struck for the film “India Sweets and Spices,” produced by SK Global (“Crazy Rich Asians”), directed by Geeta Malik (“Troublemaker”), and starring Bollywood icons Manisha Koirala and Adil Hussain.
And I revisited this 2017 delight by Shreemi Verma that looks at hte fascinating world of Bollywood fan fiction (!!!!!!!)
Coming Soon to a Couch Near You
Even as theaters in India announced intentions to reopen this month, Amazon India announced a new slate of nine direct-to-streaming films, including 3 big Hindi-language ones: “Coolie No. 1” starring Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan (Dec. 25), “Chhalaang” starring Rajkummar Rao and Nushrat Bharucha (Nov. 13), and “Durgavati” starring Bhumi Pednekar (Dec. 11).
Here are two films coming soon that I can’t wait to see:
“Evil Eye” | Amazon Prime Video | Tuesday, Oct. 13
Next week, this thriller starring Sarita Choudhury (all the heart-eye emojis) and Sunita Mani (“Glow”) will drop. In this film, a mother (Choudhury) becomes convinced her daughter’s new boyfriend has a dark connection to her own past. The film is based on an audio play written Madhuri Shekar, and is executive produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
“Kaali Khuhi” | Netflix | Friday, Oct. 30
This creepy thriller starring Shabana Azmi will drop just in time for Halloween: “When a restless spirit curses a Punjab village that has a history of female infanticide, the town's fate lies in the hands of a 10-year-old girl,” the Netflix description says.
Here’s a look ahead at other shows and films coming this month:
Thursday, Oct. 15: “Halal Love Story” (Malayalam) | Amazon, “Rooting for Roona” | Netflix
Oct. 19: “Putham Pudhu Kaalai” (Tamil) | Amazon
Oct. 21: “Comedy Couple” | Zee5
Oct. 23: “Mirzapur” Season 2 | Amazon, “A Suitable Boy” | Netflix
Oct. 29: “Bheema Sena Nalamaharaja” (Kannada) | Amazon
Oct. 30: “Soorarai Pottru” (Tamil) | Amazon
Lastly, “Laxmmi Bomb,” which will debut on Hotstar on Monday, Nov. 9, has a new trailer out. (I’m not even going to embed it here - I’m not thrilled about this one. The film, a remake of the 2011 Tamil film “Muni 2: Kanchana,” stars Akshay Kumar as a man who gets possessed by a transgender woman. Yikes.)