The New Faces of Romance
...Indian weddings, interracial romance and theatrical releases return.
After the controversy around Amazon’s “Tandav” last month, the streaming content out of India hit a bit of a bump. The platform also ended up postponing their next big series release, the second season of “The Family Man,” starring Manoj Bajpayee. Instead of coming out last week, it’ll now release over the summer, and it’s not hard to figure out some reasons why.
Anyways, all of that is to say, there hasn’t been a whole lot of new shows to watch recently, until last week. So, finally, I’m back! And luckily, the streaming releases are picking back up too, with some new release dates out as well. Without much further ado, let’s dive in!
Recently Released: “The Big Day” | Netflix; “Namaste Wahala” | Netflix; “Pitta Kathalu” (Telugu) | Netflix; Drishyam 2 (Malayalam) | Amazon; Dev DD 2 | Zee 5.
What I’m Watching
The Unfortunate Obsession with Indian Weddings Continues: “The Big Day” | Netflix
If you hoped the global obsession with Indian weddings died with “Indian Matchmaking” last year, you are apparently very wrong. (Okay maybe it was just me, I was wrong.) Following on the heels of that buzzy unscripted series, this docuseries follows six couples as they prepare for their BIG DAY. It wasn’t, as I hoped, a sequel to “Indian Matchmaking” where we see those couples’ big day — can that be a show?
While everyone hate-watched that show last year, the problem with this series is frankly, the lack of an offensive and problematic Sima Taparia from Mumbai, acting as krazy glue for all the crazy around her. The Big Day gives us origin stories for the couples in their own words, as well as a topical glimpse of their final wedding preparations. To me, this concept turned out to be incredibly boring. All I could see was wealth and class privilege furthering the narrative of over-the-top Indian weddings being the “new” norm.
For many of us in the real world, that is simply not the case — besides my moral objection to a monolithic depiction like this, it’s also frustrating that we’re still showing the world this aspect of our experiences. Let’s face it: Indian weddings of the rich have always been opulent. The white gaze and streaming investment is all that’s new and it’s frankly such a waste. I would’ve honestly rather watched a documentary about these couples going through their real day-to-day lives with normal and relatable successes and failures.
And yes, there’s a gay couple in the show, which is huge! And makes it worth watching in itself. Tyrone and Daniel are super cute, for sure, and the episode featuring them was really my only favorite thanks to how much credit was given to breaking norms and labels both in terms of gender and religion. But to be honest, if I can be a bit more greedy in 2021, I would also love to see some queer ladies and trans folks portrayed in the South Asian dating/wedding world someday — not everything is about cis men, y’all.
A for Effort, but Not Much Else: “Namaste Wahala” | Netflix
I just want to say, I love hybrid attempts like this and respect the effort — combining Nollywood and Bollywood with an Indian-Nigerian love story moves the needle in a lot of ways, no matter how cynical you are.
That being said, this was a rough film to watch. The story is supposed to be a typical rom-com, with flairs of both industries, including Bollywood musical numbers. Raj and Didi meet by chance and face numerous obstacles, especially from their families, in their journey. The film overall could’ve used a lot more editing and much sharper writing. The cliches and terrible dialogues made even the really noble attempts by the lead actors, Ruslaan Mumtaz and Ini Dima-Okojie, really fall flat.
I loved Mumtaz in the 2013 serial “Jee Le Zara,” and was really excited to see him in a streaming film, while also learning about an industry I’ve had no exposure to. But besides the obvious cultural clashes, several side plot points felt both overdramatic and unfinished. Certain scenes felt dragged out (there was three-minute scene of Raj’s mom fighting with a cab driver?!?!), and the side characters were left completely unexplored. I also found the director’s efforts to insert herself (Hamisha Daryani Ahuja) and her husband in a subplot of their own sort of laughable as well.
Over all, I do applaud Ahuja’s intentions, but the film feels amateur at best. It’s certainly worth a one-time watch if you’ve got time to kill, but don’t expect too much.
What I’m Reading
I really enjoyed this essay on the character of Pappu, played by Kalp Shah, who is the son of Dolly (Konkona Sen Sharma) in Alankrita Shrivastava’s film “Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare.” There’s something truly moving about the way Pappu is inherently secure with their identity in a world of insecure adults, Chintan Girish Modi writes. [Deccan Herald]
I have also reread this wonderful piece by Imaan Sheikh on “the horny sophistication of ‘Choli Ke Peeche’” about 5 times since it came out. Each sentence is a gem, really, and Sheikh is absolutely spot-on with her clever dissection of everything from the costume and lyrics to the gestures and sounds of the song. Don’t miss this one! (Favorite tidbit: “Perhaps what made “Choli Ke Peeche” too obscene for India to handle was that it valued consent and women demanding sexual satisfaction.”) [The Juggernaut]
(Note: You can read the article for free through the above link, just put in your email! But you should also just subscribe, because The Juggernaut is amazing!)
I would also be remiss not to include a link to my latest article in The New York Times on the evolution of onscreen mothers in Bollywood. Long gone are the days of Reema Lagoo’s whole identity in “Hum Saath Saath Hain” being tied to which son she loves the most, or Jaya Bachchan’s passiveness in the face of her obnoxious husband in “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.” In newer films like “Tribhanga,” “Dolly Kitty…” and “Shakuntala Devi,” moms are finally becoming three-dimensional human beings with (gasp!) feelings, desires and dare I say, flaws. [The New York Times]
Lastly, on the tails of the news I shared in the last newsletter of India’s return to 100% movie theater capacity, several high-profile films have announced theatrical release dates. Yash Raj Films, in fact, put out a list of all their 2021 release dates, which include “Bunty Aur Babli 2” (starring Rani Mukherji and Saif Ali Khan, April 23), “Shamshera” (starring Ranbir Kapoor, June 25) and “Jayeshbhai Jordaar” (starring Ranveer Singh, August 27). Singh’s other big film, “83,” will release on June 4. (I’ll keep you posted on streaming dates for all of these as they become available!) [Filmfare]
Coming Soon to a Couch Near You
Spotlight: “Bombay Begums” | Netflix | Starring: Pooja Bhatt
Okay, I’m extremely excited for this one. Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava (“Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare,” “Lipstick Under My Burkha”), this film follows “five ambitious women from various walks of life as they navigate dreams, desires and disappointments in modern Mumbai.”
Feb. 23: “Red” (Telegu) | Netflix
Feb. 26: “The Girl on the Train” | Netflix | Starring: Parineeti Chopra
Feb. 26: “1962: The War In The Hills” | Hotstar | Feb. 26 | Starring: Abhay Deol
March 8: “Bombay Rose” | Netflix
March 19: “The Wife” | Zee 5 | Starring: Gurmeet Choudhary