Screen Time: A Month for Defying Expectations
Get ready for March madness as love blossoms in the strangest of circumstances. Elsewhere, some couples kill, while others suffer in silence. Also, predators terrorize the innocent, and we question our humanity.
Killer Soup (Hindi)
Netflix
When two solid actors team up for the first time on screen, and the theme is murder, our interest is instantly piqued. In this twisted dramedy, Konkona Sen Sharma and Manoj Bajpayee serve up deliciously dark fare. Sharma plays Swati, an aspiring chef who wants to open her own restaurant. Her signature dish? A paya soup that unfortunately is simply inedible! She’s married to the boorish Prabhakar (Bajpayee), who keeps promising the restaurant in question but is too entangled in his own financial mess. When there’s an accidental death, Swati turns to Umesh (also Bajpayee), a masseur and her lover, to plot and take matters into their own hands. What unfolds is a bloody mess with bodies dropping everywhere. A veteran cop played by the brilliant Nasser is on to Swati and is determined to expose her. He is guided by a rookie cop, Thupalli, who has an “interesting” presence in the film. Then there is Prabhakar’s crass older brother, Arvind (Sayaji Shinde), who runs the business; his daughter, Apu (Anula Navrekar), who chooses to pursue her own dreams over the family business; and Kirtima (Kani Kusruti), who holds a torch for Prabhakar. The fun interplay between these actors makes the film an absorbing watch.
Saahasi, Dateline Singapore (Hindi/English)
YouTube
Deftly told, this YouTube short by Singapore-based writer and director Zafar Anjum pulls no punches. Based on the real-life story of Nirbhaya, the young woman who was raped and killed in 2012 by a group of men as she was travelling in a bus with her friend in Delhi, Saahasi takes on the ethical challenges plaguing the media ecosystem. Gurdip (Gurdip Singh), a veteran journalist based in Singapore, is woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call informing him of a young woman who has been flown to Singapore for medical treatment. Her horrific injuries are the result of a brutal gangrape in India. Then there’s Garima (Veena Puthran Bangera), a young and ambitious television reporter who needs this “breaking story” to boost her career. The two journalists clash over morals and values. He insists that they respect protocol, but she wants to get the story on air, fact-checking be damned. Meanwhile, the young woman is fighting for her life, and protests have erupted across India over the issue of women’s safety. Realistically portrayed by talented actors, this short reminds us to pause, examine ourselves honestly, and not lose sight of our humanity.
Captain Miller (Tamil)
Amazon Prime Video
Dhanush in an action film fighting against oppression by the powers that be? Sign me up! In this pre-independence saga, he plays Esan, who along with his mother and his fellow villagers are mistreated by the local ruler and not allowed to enter the very temple they had built. Frustrated with the nonstop atrocities, Esan decides to serve the British to gain some respect and improve his station in life. But his new masters direct him to turn on his own people. Esan, rechristened as Captain Miller by the British, is shunned by his people. He becomes a nomad and, ultimately, a vigilante. Will he make the right choices and defend the very people who’ve cast him out? The stylishly shot film features high octane action scenes. But be warned—there’s blood and guts galore. Dhanush is expectedly brilliant as Esan, with his boy-nextdoor looks and a vulnerability that’s a perfect foil for the grit and anguish he so effortlessly holds inside him. He executes each sequence with flourish and makes this violent film immensely watchable.
Kaathal – The Core (Malayalam)
Amazon Prime Video
Mathew Devassy (Mammooty) and Omana (Jyotika) are a married couple leading a seemingly mundane life in a nondescript village in Kerala. They live with his father, who seems to have a rocky relationship with Mathew. Their daughter is away in college. Mathew decides to contest the local panchayat elections, but then Omana files for divorce out of the blue. Initially reluctant to talk about her decision, she later reveals that the marriage is a sham. Her husband is gay, and they have simply been cohabiting all these years as roommates and nothing else. Mathew, who has been keeping his sexual orientation a secret, is distressed at this public revelation. Omana has no ill will against him; she just wants to break free. Mathew has a chance to embrace his true self, but at what cost? This sensitive drama addresses the issue of homosexuals being forced into heterosexual unions simply to adhere to societal norms. Both individuals, as well as their extended families, end up getting hurt. Mammooty is a class act—the superstar glides through this complex role with the ease of a veteran, hitting all the right notes. Watch him as he lets out an anguished cry and envelops the lovely Jyotika in his arms when she tells him she can’t go on with the facade. Easily one of the best films to come out of India.
Leo (Tamil)
Netflix
Love doesn’t have to be restricted to the month of February. It’s all around us, every day of the year. This new docuseries celebrates some of these couples who’ve had to fight the system to be together. A Delhi-based writer faces opposition from her daughters because she’s determined to get together with the new man in her life; activism brings together an IIT student and a Dalit activist who fall for each other at a rally; an Afghan student falls for an Indian student, thanks to Hindi films. These are some of the heartwarming stories of true, modern love. Based on stories that were featured on an Instagram account called India Love Project started by journalists Priya Ramani, Samar Halarnkar, and Niloufer Venkatraman, this anthology is directed by Hardik Mehta (writer of the survival drama Trapped and other notable projects) and Shazia Iqbal (Bebaak), among others. This one will warm the cockles of your heart and leave you inspired and hopeful.
Baisakhi Roy is a culture writer and journalist based in Ontario, Canada. Her work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Huffington Post Canada, Chatelaine, Broadview and CBC. Formerly a reporter with The Indian Express in India, Roy is an avid Bollywood fan and co-hosts the Hindi language podcast KhabardaarPodcast.com. Email: baisakhi.roy@gmail.com
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