His Storyy

                              

The number of gay men married to women in India is huge. They did this to escape social bigotry. Homophobia in India, and all over the world, is so prevalent even today that most of the LGBTQ ++ community doesn't have a choice but to suppress and suffer in silence. Imagine if you couldn't date and be in relationships freely. You had to keep pretending that you are a different person than what you are. And all this so people don't hate you. They don't bully, target, and malign you as they please.  It's even difficult to imagine that. And while doing all this you get suffocated and snubbed by your own self asking you to be careful of what you say, how you say it, when you say it and to whom you speak to. And you continue this existence and get married to a woman to fulfill the world's expectations and one cannot begin to imagine that life after marriage. 

Indians live socially complex lives. Even in the so-called elite, well-educated, champagne-drinking, gourmet food, wealthy businessmen, and eclectic food critics, scenario our lives are complicated because we live them in our relationships. Homophobia, body shaming, bigotry, and misogyny see no class, pedigree, or education. They infect and decompose even the upper crust. 

This is the essence of "His Storyy" the new gay love story series on ALTBalaji. The series deals with the emotions of every character involved in the life of a gay man married to a woman, in a very evolved manner. It is complete in the sense that it has all the imaginable parts of an Indian gay story. The revelation of the catastrophe so to say and the emotional coping of every person connected to the gay protagonist is depicted superbly. 

This story has all the ingredients one can expect. We have the toxic masculinity, the misogyny, elite successful women, the closeted gay teenager and his fag hag, the married gay man, and his faithful loving wife. They all have been tossed in to make this spread of several course gourmet meals in an elitist restaurateur background with the gorgeous food critic. But somehow the food tastes undercooked. The toxicity is overwhelming.  The corporate-like formality in many scenes leaves a dry palate. It seems as if the chef had the right ingredients but hasn't done justice to them.

The characterization is jumpy and jerky, The storyline is full of cliches and completely detached. I am not sure if the audience will connect to the series as a whole. The gay couple seems very plastic and passionless. They seem to be trying very hard to appear masculine for a gay story.  Were the makers playing safe by choosing a high society set-up? Is it easier for the well-educated to accept alternate choices? Isn't the story of the gay married man too plain and linear? Doesn't it need more depth and intensity? These are a few questions I have for the writer and director. 

#hisstoryy #gayseries #altbalaji #zee5 #critic #seriesreview #lgbtgseries #lgbt

Rating : 3 / 5

The Serpent

After a long time, I had a nail-biting experience while watching something. Riveting and absorbing, 'The Serpent' presents the modus operandi of Charles Sobhraj, a serial killer whose victims were hippies traveling through southeast Asia during the hippie movement in an interesting chronological narrative. It is amazing how the makers have made the story thrilling even though it vacillates between two different timelines. It can be a bit confusing as most of the time we are used to just a few flashbacks in a story. But here the entire series happens that way but once you get used to it, it's quite gripping. What makes the show that good is the exceptional performances of Tahir Rahim as the protagonist Charles Sobhraj. The ice-cold, vane ruthlessness that Tahir brings is pivotal to the whole series. He is one of the perfect avatars of portrayal of evil as the central character of the plot. Billy Howle as Knippenberg is the counter to balance out Charles. His depiction of the obsession with Charles is admirable. The cat and mouse chase between these two across the Asian hippie route is kind of exotic and exciting to follow. I always wondered how the hippie culture/ movement could have been and this series definitely gives us a taste of it. Must watch!

Ajeeb Daastaans

Four different stories combined into one film. Majnu, Khilauna, Geeli Pucchi, Ankahi.Four new experiences in Indian cinema. It's as if a new threshold has been crossed in filmmaking and storytelling. Each story has a distinct personality of its own. The only thing in common is they all have a twist in the end. It reminds me of Jeffrey Archers' short story collection 'A twist in the tail'. Our lives are not linear but quite complicated. And the relationships that shape our lives have many layers. Though they are not uncovered we live inside these layers of complex thoughts and emotions. It is not always easy to interpret all of the emotions and feelings. This is what makes for real stories hidden in each of our lives. Ajeeb Daastaans tries to unearth and peel these layers in its stories. It is very plausible to see our lives in these stories because all these stories are inspired by real life. The suffering of a gay man and his wife, the oppression and suppression of a lesbian backward caste woman, a dystopic story of two sisters, and a story about the emotions of the deaf and mute, the film tries to unearth the complex character of loss and gain in human lives. Nushrat Bharucha, Konana Sen Sharma, and Jaideep Ahlawat deserve special mention for their exceptional performances. Kudos to the four directors to present this story in this interesting format and having a common theme in very different and original stories.

Rating - 4 / 5

Tribhanga

 

Marathi performing arts have the unique character of simple stories presented with great profundity. Their no-frills nature makes way for intense and stoic storytelling. The works offer the audience deep meaning and poignant experiences. Tribhanga has both Marathi and Hindi dialogues but the soul of the film is essentially Marathi. Cinema in India across languages and borders is celebrating womanhood and breaking shackles of misogyny and patriarchy. Tribhanga is one such story that celebrates womanhood in her independent and pioneering avatar. A story of three generations of women, this film delves deep into the emotions and sentiments of the mother-daughter relationship. Often children resent certain aspects of their parents and through their life, decide to not repeat the mistakes their parents made. By doing so they feel they will protect their own children from the chaos and suffering they have been through. But more often than not they end up making the same mistakes and the cycle continues. This goes on to say that resentment and guilt always trap us into a vicious cycle. The only escape from it is to forgive and let go. 

Tribhanga is also the story of women who chose to live life on their own terms. While doing that they spend most of their lives overcoming the conforms of society. A woman who chose to be single and have multiple partners was accused of being promiscuous. Another had to deal with the responsibilities of a family coming in the way of her work and passion. We often celebrate women who manage to have a career and home and do the "balancing" act successfully. But why do their lives have to be such a struggle? Why cant their lives be as easy as a man's who is able to realize his work and passion without the anguish and difficulty that a woman in his place has to? Hopefully, things are changing in the 21st century. Like I said earlier, this is a wonderful film that spells out smaller nuances of womanhood through great dialogue and masterful storytelling.

This is a great piece of work by Renka Shahane as she has done it by choosing the perfect cast. Kajol is at her expected best as Anu; a master at her craft steering the ship with great aplomb. Tanvi Azmi has gives her best as another lead of this film. Mithila is sweet and adorable completing the experience of the film.

Rating - 3.9 / 5 

The Crown S3 & S4

                                                                               

I watched Season 3 quite late after it's release. It gave me a good base for Season 4. S3 continues at the same pace as the previous seasons though the transformation for the next season took place somewhere from the middle episodes of S3. As we progress into the S4 we get to see some real challenges that the royal family deals with. From Thatcher's government to Charles's love affair and wedding, this season is by far the most riveting of all.  The magnanimity of the royal family and their palaces have been done complete justice through stellar cinematography in both seasons. The reserved coldness and lack of emotion play out aggressively in the S4. Even though Princess Margaret has in store a riot of laughter in one episode, every member of the family sacrifices their passions and desires for the dignity of the sovereign.  The queen herself being at the helm of it all. There is great power in not doing anything is what she says, and it's also the most difficult thing to do. But the suffering of each of the characters of the royal family can be felt strongly as if a volcano of emotions is being suppressed and killed. In Shawshank Redemption the character "Red" says that prison is all about routines that are done every day without purpose or meaning. To draw a royal parallel, the royalties are imprisoned in the riches of Buckingham Palace; however magnificent and grand this prison maybe. Large empty rooms with grandiose interiors and paintings look fabulous but do they make it home? Or is it a glorified prison with the sovereign keeping up the idea of the Windsor monarchy?

There has been a lot of hype about Princess Diana's life and story in media, but the story of Prince Charles has not been dealt with the same seriousness. His suffering and deprivation of the life he wanted have been shown brilliantly in the series. Josh O Connor playing Prince Charles, contains the whirlwind of his emotions so well, you will feel his suppression in all his scenes. Emma Corrin playing Princess Diana is this cute puppy that needs a whole lotta love; she doesn't even get a fraction of it. And caught between the devil (royalty) and the deep sea (marriage)  her suffocation plays out harshly. Gillian Flynn plays Margaret Thatcher. Although she is really good she will always be compared to Meryll Streep in Iron Lady. Olivia Colman delivers what is expected of her, however, loses the limelight to Josh and Emma. There are some scenes that are pivotal and essential to the whole series. The chat between the Duke and Diana in the last episode, towards the end, conveys the essence of the whole story succinctly.

A must watch if you are a sucker for British movies and series. It is one of the most defining works in its's genre.

Rating - 3.8 / 5

Bandish Bandits

This series is a beautiful and intelligent blend of ethnic, modern, and futuristic trends, not just in music, but in the lives of Indians. It witnesses transitions in music from the old classics to modern contemporary forms and marries traditions with modernity. Based in the beautiful and historical city of Jodhpur, the backdrop gives a strong take-off for the story from the heritage into the technological. It is a treat for music lovers as they will get to hear a lot of singing and music. Though I don't understand Indian classical music it was great to know how complex and intricate our music is. A great tussle created between these two different generations and ages also makes for contrasting stories and characterization to watch. The traditional classical Indian musical gharanas vs the modern on-stage performances and youtube following, both co-exist and compliment each other without compromising their identity. In many ways, it is a taste of how Indian youth are marrying both these ages with one leg on each side balancing the act and falling many times ; but at the same time creating a new present for itself taking the best of both the worlds. 

The lead, Ritiwk Bhoumik, has a sober style yet grows on you with every passing episode. Manisha Koirala's child representator, who has now grown into a stunning bubbly Shreya Choudhary, gives a natural and easy performance. The legendary stalwart of classical music of Rathod Gharana played by the legend Nasiruddin Shah gives the story a strong pivot from which comes this very Indian, very musical, very original series. Atul Kulkarni convincingly challenges the great stalwart indulging the audience. Though the series gets a bit slow in the later halves, it picks up dramatically towards the end, to finish with a great flourish. 

Rating - 3.75 / 5 

Shakuntala Devi

Being a woman is not easy. And only a woman can handle the feat. This film explores the essence of womanhood through three generations.  The equations three mothers and their daughters share as they balance womanhood and motherhood going through immense emotions and strong bonding. Shakuntala Devi was a celebrated Indian mathematician who became famous for her gifts with numbers and the ability to solve complex arithmetic in a very short time. She was a strong woman and challenged the patriarchy and dominance of men in an age where the woman had to be confined to the four walls of her home and take care of the family. With her abilities, she carved her own life path to do what she wanted and live her life on her own terms. But to what extent was she ready to lead her life on her own terms?  Things get a little complicated when the family and a child come into play. She didn't want to sacrifice her life for her family's sake. Though her husband understands it, will the daughter understand? Will the daughter who is deprived of her childhood and father's love forgive a woman who forced her to change her life for her ambitions? Will the strong, independent woman forgive her mother for not standing up to her father when it was most needed?  These questions will be answered by women who chose to be women in spite of being mothers, wives, and daughters.

On the eve of Raksha Bandhan, this film explores the complex lives of women who made a mark in history even though their personal lives suffered. An inspiring story of a woman who chose her heart over everything else and yet managed to love her daughter more than anything else. Vidya Balan is her true self again and dictates the screen as a protagonist. Sanya gives a heart touching performance and stands out distinctly throughout the story.

Rating - 4 / 5