What's New is New, but What's Old is Also New
Dolly and Kitty, a new sci-fi adventure, and more.
Oh man, you take one week off, and so many shows and films come out! (ICYMI: In lieu of a dispatch last week, I talked to Sonam Nair, the director of “Masaba Masaba.”)
So let’s get right to it, y’all!
Recently Released
Last week saw the premiere of the film “Cargo” on Netflix, as well as the second season of “Hostages” on Hotstar and the first season “Comicstaan Semma Comedy Pa,” a new Tamil version of the comedy reality show hit “Comicstaan,” on Amazon Prime Video. Also out now in select theaters (what are those!) is “The Broken Hearts Gallery,” starring Geraldine Viswanathan.
This week we have another big film release from Netflix, “Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare,” which we’ll dive into next! There’s also a new series, “Time Enna Boss,” out today on Amazon Prime Video.
Recently Watched
Pick of the Week: “Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare,” Netflix
I absolutely loved this film. With Bhumi Pednekar and Konkona Sen Sharma leading the way, and Alankrita Srivastava (“Lipstick Under My Burkha”) at the helm, you pretty much know what to expect going into this film — and that’s exactly what you get. While female-centric (I hate that word! What’s a better way to say we don’t need men?) content has been on the rise in India the last few years, it’s always nice to get something written by women for women starring women - and have it not shout “Feminism!!!!!” from the rooftops.
Dolly is a middle-class working mother with a son and a hardworking husband who dreams of upward class mobility. Kajal, her cousin, moves from rural India to live with Dolly in the city, but struggles to find work — she ends up working as a cyber companion named Kitty on a dating app, and falls for one of her clients.
The film’s plot is incredibly patient and phenomenally layered, with lots of subtle but universal glimpses of what it’s like to be a woman in a culture that constantly tries to fit you into a box. What I loved most about this film, however, is how much Dolly and Kajal’s story is about their friendship, or lack of it — all along, all I wanted was for them to lean on each other. No spoilers here, but as a viewer, we got to see in such a creative way how similar their journeys were — yet they had no idea.
This is one of those films that I can’t wait to revisit over and over again because I’m sure new things will make an impact each time. Sometimes women can be terrible to each other — and not always in an overtly catty or competitive way. Instead, Srivastava shows how important it is for women to believe other women, let alone confide in, or trust, them… which is a critical step before we can ever expect to genuinely uplift one another, and not just in the name of feminism.
Indie of the Week: “Cargo,” Netflix
This sci-fi film, which was supposed to be screened at this year’s SXSW festival, is directed by Arati Kadav and stars Vikrant Massey and Swetha Tripathi. The story takes place on a spaceship where a demon Prahastha (Massey), recycles recently deceased people for rebirth.
What I loved about the film is that it is a fresh story — nothing like this has really come out of India before, and it’s an inspired way to mix science fiction and mythology, especially when you find out more about how the film was created on such a tight budget. This film is all substance and no frills — and definitely worth a watch.
Skippable: “JL50,” Sony LIV
You know, Abhay has the most Big Deol Energy of them all, in my opinion, but the man should not be doing action stuff. This short, four-episode series is also a new story for India — it’s almost “Lost” meets “Back To The Future.” When a plane crash draws the CBI officer Shantanu’s (Deol) attention, investigators realize the flight, JL 50, took off 35 years ago. And as a cherry on top, time scientist / professor Subroto Das (Pankaj Kapur) hovers, and may have more to do with what happened to the flight than he lets on.
In the end, everything about this show feels rushed and the mystery is not quite so mysterious… just absurd. It’s as if this idea (and the writing, I suppose) was not suited for this short episodic format at all. (Nor is Abhay Deol made for chasing bad guys with a gun, I have learned!!)
What I’ve Been Reading
Even though I have not yet seen it myself, I keep hearing about this Turkish soap that’s hugely popular in Pakistan! It’s time to make some room in the queue, y’all.
While I was not a fan of his book, Tan France remains an icon for many South Asian LGBTQ+ folks, which I can understand. I loved reading this profile of him, including learning that at age 26, he created the first clothing line of his own: it was stylish but modest clothing geared toward Mormon women.
I also loved this profile of Ayad Akhtar, whose second novel, “Homeland Elegies,” just released. My favorite bit: Akhtar starts every morning by reading one of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Who among us?!
Even if you have, like me, tried to stay away from the discourse in the months since Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, the noise hit new levels last week. This column by Supriya Nair is a great look at the forces at play, as is this one by Rega Jha.
Coming Soon to a Couch Near You
“Serious Men” | Netflix | Friday, Oct. 2
Literally sign me up for anything starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui. This film, about a father who wants his son to be famous, is based on the novel of the same name by Manu Joseph.
“Evil Eye” | Amazon Prime Video | Tuesday, Oct. 13
First of all, omg, Sarita Choudhury! (Who else loved “Mississippi Masala” back in the day!?!) This trailer drop has been all over social media this week, and I seriously can’t wait to see it. 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.
“Laxmmi Bomb” | Hotstar | Monday, Nov. 9
Iss Diwali aap sabke gharon mein laxmmi hi laxmmi hogi! Aa rahe hai hum, Diwali ka sabse bada bomb le ke 9th November ko! #YehDiwaliLaxmmiBombWaali 💥 #LaxmmiBomb #DisneyPlusHotstarMultiplex @akshaykumar @advani_kiara @offl_LawrenceThis Akshay Kumar starrer is a remake of the Tamil movie Muni 2: Kanchana, with Kumar portraying (being possessed by?) a transgender woman. It’s gonna be… quite something.
Coalition of South Asian Film Festivals (CoSAFF) | Oct. 3-17 | RSVP here!
The Coalition of South Asian Film Festivals (CoSAFF), a first of its kind event that brings together seven well-established South Asian film festivals across North America, recently announced its full lineup. The virtual festival will run from October 3-17, featuring free online screenings, along with Q&As with the creators, webinars, and more.
More shows coming soon: “Crackdown” (an espionage action drama that will mark Bollywood director and writer Apoorva Lakhia’s streaming debut) premieres Sept. 23 on Voot Select. And “Comedy Couple” premieres Oct. 21 on
Zee5.
That’s all for this week, folks! Feel free to drop me a line to let me know what you’re watching this weekend, or what you’re looking forward to seeing soon!