Category: Culture

The most anticipated release this week is Varun Dhawan and Samantha Prabhu’s Citadel: Honey Bunny – the Indian leg of the international spy universe franchise. The high-octane drama gives plenty of action sequences, thrill and chases. The next big release is Anupam Kher’s inspiring drama Vijay 69 on Netflix, which deals with the often-overlooked challenges […]

We have all at some point encountered the kind of duplicitous men who would shamelessly beat their wives, catcall every possible female, exert their dominance, and yet call themselves feminists who “respect women.” They won’t even deny their preposterous acts and would either blame the victim for triggering them or make fun of their hopelessness. […]

The biggest Indian release this week is Kajol and Kriti Sanon’s crime thriller Do Patti. We will see the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai star essaying the role of a cop for the first time. Sanon here has a double role and also serves as the film’s producer. Next is the highly acclaimed mythology series, The […]

Whether it’s cinema, television, standup performances, or the millions of memes plaguing the Internet, the stereotypical Indian family has always been an object of ridicule. The moms are too controlling, food is uncontrollably spicy, curfews are annoying, privacy is obsolete, academic excellence flows through generations, and well… the list is too long to summarise here. […]

The biggest Indian OTT releases this week are Hotstar’s 1000 Babies and Dharmatic Entertainment’s Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives, returning for a third season. While the former is a bone-chilling crime thriller set in Kerala, the latter gives a peek into the lavish lives of powerful women from the film industry, married to popular Bollywood […]

Lionsgate Play has announced seven days of free streaming in India from October 18 to October 24, as a part of a new “Gatecrash Lionsgate Play” promotional campaign in the country. The platform’s entire content library, including Bollywood films, Indian originals, Hollywood movies, and Web series from across genres, can be streamed for free during […]

Parenthood has never been easy, but it is more confusing than ever for the millennials, who are entering the club for the first time. The societal fabric, lifestyle dynamics, and living standards are in total contrast to their childhood. They are more self-aware and sometimes even overly cautious of parenting and childhood traumas – thanks […]

Indian rural folklore is filled with bone-chilling stories of superstitions, witchcraft and occult practices. While the terminologies or details may vary with pin codes, what remains constant is the paralysing fear of the unknown, which often pushes one to humanity-defying extremes and unbelievable crimes. SonyLiv’s latest Web series Manvat Murders is about a similar story […]

October is here, and along with the festivities in the air, it has brought a refreshing lineup of releases. From romantic comedies and intriguing dramas to chilling thrillers and mind-boggling documentaries, the entertainment platter is quite enticing this time. We watch an AI application taking over Ananya Panday’s life in Netflix’s CTRL – out October […]

The best of American television was celebrated at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on Sunday evening at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Awards were handed out to the most loved shows and artists across categories in acting, writing, direction and others. The ceremony was dominated by FX’s period drama Shōgun, where an English […]

For every actor, there is a role that unlocks their untapped talent and pivots their career. Vikrant Massey’s latest outing in Netflix’s Sector 36 as a psychopathic killer might just be it. While Massey has done his fair share of negative roles in the past, his on-screen persona this time is enough to send a […]

This week’s OTT platter brings in a diverse array of picks from across genres that’ll cater to your appetite for entertainment. For thrills, we have Netflix’s Sector 36, which recreates the horrific serial killing case of Noida (2006), and Zee5’s Berlin, in which a sign language expert is roped into the investigation against a deaf-and-mute […]

There are films that run on extensive research and make you introspect, and then there are others that don’t have an ounce of practicality and make it to the audience’s guilty pleasure watchlist. Prime Video’s latest original series, Call Me Bae, falls into the latter category. It is essentially the story of an uber-rich Bella […]

This week’s OTT releases are packed with suspense! Nicole Kidman’s The Perfect Couple features a mysterious body at a beach wedding, while Lakshya’s Kill involves a kidnapping on a train. Apple TV’s London has a suspicious fire, SonyLiv’s Tanaav follows a counter-terrorism operation in the second season, and Prime Video’s Call Me Bae stars Ananya […]

When it comes to sensitive subjects like national security, filmmakers often resort to a jingoistic tone. Dramatic speeches, theatrical dialogues, mawkish music and factually incorrect portrayals underpin the story. Thankfully, that’s not the case with Netflix’s latest original series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, which brings a refreshingly dispassionate approach to genre. The show takes […]

It has become rather rare for the Indian television industry to produce a crime thriller that isn’t a botched-up compilation of predictable plots, theatrical dialogues, and unnecessarily dramatic background scores. Thankfully, SonyLiv’s original web series Brinda is wary of these shortcomings and offers a refreshing take on the genre that keeps you invested throughout. The […]

The idea that the East African Rift System (EARS) is the exclusive cradle of humankind may be outdated. While much of our knowledge about early humans stems from fossils found in this region, this narrative is shaped by the fact that fossils only survive in specific conditions, such as those found in sedimentary basins like […]

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a man and a woman in Pompeii, providing new insights into the tragic events of the city’s destruction during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. The two skeletons, found in a small room, offer a stark view of the last moments of these individuals as they faced […]

The long weekend is here, and so are our recommendations for the top OTT releases this week. On the home front, we have one major release in the form of JioCinema’s Shekhar Home. In this, we will see a detective duo taking some of the most intriguing cases of the Bengal of the 1990s. Another […]

Three years back when I watched Netflix’s Haseen Dillruba, despite not being a fan of romantic crime thrillers, I was surprisingly invested. The film was well-written, thoughtful, had multiple layers, and was thoroughly enjoyable. So, naturally, when the sequel was announced, I was ready with my popcorn tub, soda can, and high hopes. To say […]

This week is big on entertainment, with several originals hitting streaming platforms. On Netflix, we have the crime thriller Phir Aayi Haseen Dillrubba, the awaited sequel of Haseen Dillruba, which followed a toxic couple, an extramarital affair, and a murder. On the international front, the platform is offering the final season of The Umbrella Academy, […]

The weekend is here, and so are our top recommendations for the biggest OTT releases to stream! Among the Indian originals, the South Indian entertainment industry is dominating with two exciting releases: Brinda and Modern Masters: S.S. Rajamouli on SonyLiv and Netflix. In Brinda, a police officer battles superstitions like human sacrifices, while Modern Masters […]

The key ingredient of an effective murder mystery is its ability to keep the viewers hooked to the whodunnit plot and surprised at every reveal. The best ones keep you invested with a healthy dose of adrenaline and a steady drip of anticipation for what’s going to happen next. Sadly, 36 Days, SonyLiv’s latest crime […]

After a long gap of four years, Prime Video’s blood-soaked original Mirzapur is back! The show stars the likes of Pankaj Tripathi, Rasika Duggal, Shweta Tripathi, and Ali Fazal. In this season, Tripathi’s iconic character of mobster Kaleen Bhaiya takes a backseat, and Faisal’s Guddu Bhaiya shines despite new threats and contenders for the reign. […]

Last time we were in Mirzapur, Ali Fazal’s Guddu Pandit had conquered the Tripathis and was finally sitting on the throne he had coveted for long. He was now supposedly the new king of Mirzapur, or so he thought, like the rest of us. But just like the unexpected goons of the blood-spattered city, who […]

Indian cinema’s portrayal of women often veers between two extremes: sari-clad maternal figures or vodka-sipping partygoers, with filmmakers struggling to strike a balance and give a rather realistic portrait. Prime Video’s latest original, Sharmajee Ki Beti, attempts to do so through the story of five women, all carrying the same titular surname, across three generations. […]

This week, among the Indian originals, we have anthology-style drama Sharmajee Ki Beti and Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s hilarious murder mystery Rautu Ka Raaz. The former focuses on the challenges that women of different age groups face. At the same time, the latter introduces us to a funny murder mystery. Amongst the post-theatrical releases, we have A24’s […]

he biggest OTT release this week has to be TVF’s Kota Factory Season 3 on Netflix. The feel-good show follows the main aspirants in their final year of preparation as they juggle between preparing for JEE and board exams. Meanwhile, their star teacher, Jeetu Bhaiya, is fighting his own battles. Next in line is the […]

As someone who has first-hand experience of being torn between the upcoming competitive exams that determine your career trajectory and the board exams at school, I finally felt heard when Kota Factory’s Vaibhav gave an almost [Kaartik Aryan’s] Pyaar Ka Punchnama style rant about the dire conflict. If you focus on one, the other gets […]

TVF seems to be harbouring the secret magic formula for creating shows that feel like a warm hug. The same fuzzy feeling inhabits the third season of Panchayat, TVF’s social comedy series that began in 2020. The new season features beautiful writing, nuanced performances and, to my surprise, a more realistic portrayal of rural India, […]