Despite all that’s going on in the world, there’s something powerful about bearing witness to one another’s stories. It’s why I love watching really good shows and films, or reading a compelling book — but it’s also a great reminder that no matter what, we’re not alone. That’s the lesson I’m learning this week, and you’ll see why as we dive into this week’s picks.
Recently Released
This week’s new releases include “Evil Eye,” “Halal Love Story” (Malayalam) and “Putham Pudhu Kaalai,” an anthology film featuring five Tamil directors and shot entirely during the lockdown, all on Amazon. Also out are the documentary “Rooting for Roona” on Netflix and “Poison 2” on Zee5, starring Aftab Shivdasani and Rahul Dev (!!!) among others.
What I’ve been Watching
Pick of the week: “Evil Eye” | Amazon
I’ve been talking about this film for weeks, but in case you haven’t heard: This film, starring Sarita Choudhury (“Mississippi Masala”) and Sunita Mani (“Glow”), takes on the tale of an Indian mother who becomes convinced that her daughter’s new boyfriend is the reincarnation of an abusive man she dated 30 years prior.
The film is compelling, if predictable. Choudhury absolutely steals the show — her fear and superstition feel palpable, and incredibly relatable to most South Asians, I would think. The film suffers a bit in the dialogue and suspense-building areas, where some lines come out repeatedly and almost feel funny. The film does also feel a bit rushed – it is only 90 minutes long, after all — so by the time the suspense finally builds up, the climax was almost over.
“Horror to me only really works if there is a deep emotional stake,” Madhuri Shekar, who wrote the film, told NBC Asian America. I think this feeling, brought to life by Choudhury and Mani, is what makes the film most worth watching — besides the obvious implications of mainstream South Asian representation in the horror genre, of course. It also sheds light on something our communities don’t often talk about: domestic violence. The trauma, alongside the existing taboos and cultural gaslighting, permeates this entire family’s lives, and the film, in its own way, asks the question: why aren’t we talking about this more?
Must-Watch Documentary: “Rooting for Roona” | Netflix
Man, this was a tough watch. This short, 40-minute documentary on Netflix follows the life-changing journey of Roona, a young girl in rural India who suffered from a terrible case of hydrocephalus, an abnormal buildup on fluid in the brain.
I hadn’t heard of Roona’s story before watching, so I wasn’t familiar with how her condition had gone viral. But watching this unfold, and seeing how the filmmakers were able to trace her journey over seven years, made me feel an immense connection with Roona right away.
Roona’s mom is the real hero of this story, and her love is what carries Roona and their family through a number of surgeries to one day realize the dream of a day when Roona can walk, talk and go to school like so many other kids. Her hope and optimism has stayed with me, and is something that may remind so many of us of our own moms. (And once you watch, this behind-the-scenes with the directors touches on how they shoot the documentary and what the challenges were.)
ICYMI: “Because We Were Girls” | Amazon
I’m not sure whether this just hit Amazon recently, or if the algorithm finally picked up that I’m not depressed enough, but this 2019 documentary is also a must-watch.
Directed by the Indian-Canadian filmmaker Baljit Sangra, this film tells the story of three sisters, Jeeti, Kira and Sulakshna Pooni, who speak out as adults about the sexual abuse they endured as children in their own home, at the hands of a relative. In their strict Punjabi household, talking about such things was taboo, and the women suffered silently for more than two decades. The documentary skillfully handles what it’s like to speak up about sexual abuse in the South Asian community, and what it was like for these women to file charges against their abuser after many years.
The sisters’ journey is compelling on its own — but also plays out alongside that of their parents, who lurk in the background for most of the film, still unable to comprehend the need to speak out or pursue charges. The film, heartbreaking as it is, again begs the question — why don’t we talk about this? The silent suffering of so many women in our communities needs to end... and maybe films like these are starting to shatter that taboo, albeit slowly.
What I’ve Been Reading
The Juggernaut’s Snigdha Sur did a profile on Sarita Choudhury and her journey from “Mississippi Masala” all the way to “The Hunger Games” and “Evil Eye.” My favorite tidbit: “When I asked Choudhury if Hollywood now knows what to do with her, she responded: ‘I’m wondering, is it also, I don’t know what to do with Hollywood. Like who started it?’”
And as India’s theaters moved to reopen this week, Veda Shastri wrote about what cinemas have meant to the country and how the pandemic has ruptured India’s movie-watching culture. From shuttered movie theaters to the pivot to streaming, the effects have been vast, no doubt.
More good news this week: Ava Duvernay’s ARRAY Releasing struck a deal with Netflix to bring Deepa Mehta’s film, “Funny Boy,” to the platform in December. “Funny Boy” is the story of a young man coming to terms with his gay identity, set during Sri Lanka’s civil war. Mehta spoke to Variety about the deal, why stories out of Sri Lanka rarely enter the mainstream, and of course, the white gaze.
And for my regular readers, if you followed my advice last week and watched “Bad Boy Billionaires: India,” you might like watching this reaction video from Tanmay Bhat & Ashish Shakya.
Coming Soon to a Couch Near You
New trailer: Last week, I brought you news of Amazon India’s new slate of streaming films. One of those films, “Chalaang,” directed by Hansal Mehta and starring Rajkummar Rao, will release on Nov. 13:
Here’s a look ahead at other shows and films coming soon:
Oct. 21: “Comedy Couple” | Zee5
Oct. 23: “A Suitable Boy” | Netflix
This mini-series, based on the book of the same name by Vikram Seth, is directed by Mira Nair and stars the Bollywood icon Tabu alongside Ishaan Khattar and Tanya Maniktala. After airing in the U.K. this summer, it’s finally headed to Netflix!
Oct. 23: “Mirzapur” Season 2 | Amazon
This eagerly-anticipated (by me!) second installment of Amazon’s popular crime thriller series stars Pankaj Tripathi (love), Shweta Tripathi Sharma (also love) and many more. If you haven’t seen the first season, what are you even doing… but there’s still time to catch up!
Oct. 29: “Bheema Sena Nalamaharaja” (Kannada) | Amazon
Oct. 30: “Soorarai Pottru” (Tamil) | Amazon
Oct. 30: “Kaali Khuhi” | Netflix
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.
Oct. 30: “Ek Jhoothi Love Story” | Zindagi/Zee5
Written by Umera Ahmed (“Zindagi Gulzar Hai”) and directed by Mehreen Jabbar, this new Pakistani series stars Bilal Abbas Khan and Madiha Imam in the lead, as well as everyone’s favorite, Fawad Khan (!!!).
Nov. 6: “MumBhai” | Zee5
Nov. 9: “Laxmmi Bomb” | Hotstar
Nov. 13: “Chalaang” | Amazon