Screen Time: A Taste of the Underbelly
A troubled cop solving grisly murders, a diva gone missing, star-crossed lovers on the run from a psychopath, and a deeply visceral remake of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. There is plenty to choose from this month if you are in the mood for dark tales of love and deceit.
Rudra (Hindi)
Hotstar
Your reaction to this series depends on whether you’ve watched Luther, the gritty BBC One drama starring the effortlessly brilliant Idris Elba as detective John Luther. As a fan of Elba and the series, I took time to warm up to this official remake. Ajay Devgn plays Rudraveer Singh, a troubled detective with anger issues and a sharp mind capable of solving the most perplexing crimes. Devgn does what he does best—smirking and brooding over the mental machinations of the sociopaths he encounters— in the six episodes of the series, even as he tries to reconcile with his wife (Esha Deol Takhtani). The storylines are quite tame, and the writing could have been sharper, but Devgn, assisted by a stellar performance by Atul Kulkarni who plays his close friend and fellow cop, makes it watchable. In the original, Ruth Wilson plays Alice Morgan, a narcissistic killer who helps Luther. In this version, the character is essayed by Raashi Khanna, who almost nails it. The city of Mumbai, where this story takes place, is shot in tones of grey and black and looks deserted—a tad unreal. All in all, it’s an average remake of a masterpiece.
The Fame Game (Hindi)
Netflix
The much-awaited OTT debut of Madhuri Dixit is a treat, but only if you're a fan of the dhak dhak diva. Dixit plays Anamika, a Bollywood superstar who disappears mysteriously and sets off a chain of events that give us insights into her complicated family. Her producer husband (Sanjay Kapoor) lives under her shadow, her daughter is struggling with identity issues, while her son is hiding a secret. Then there is her domineering mother (Suhasini Mulay) and a stalker who may or may not be her son! Each one of them is fighting their demons and if it wasn’t for Dixit’s luminous screen presence, the series would be a drag (each episode is 45 minutes long). There are many stand-out performances, making the series bearable. Rajshri Deshpande plays a gay cop investigating Anamika’s disappearance, Manav Kaul plays a superstar Anamika once loved, and Gagan Arora plays the stalker with the right amount of guile and innocence. A second season is in the works.
Love Hostel (Hindi/Haryanvi)
ZEE5
Be warned—this one’s a no-holds-barred blood fest. At the helm of these grisly affairs is Dagar, played with startling menace by Bobby Deol. All those images of Deol from his breezy romantic flicks like Kareeb and Dillagi will be shattered as you watch Dagar slaughter and slice with gusto. Dagar is a ruthless contract killer whose sole mission is to eliminate interfaith couples who dare to get married. Here, he is hunting Jyoti (Sanya Malhotra), an upper caste Haryanvi girl who elopes with Ashu (Vikrant Massey), a young Muslim man. Both actors are in top form—while Massey plays Ashu with endearing sweetness, the petite Malhotra is a perfect mix of vulnerability and grit. The series brings issues of “love jihad” and honor killings into sharp focus, while the actors and the script do justice to the subject. It is directed by Shanker Raman, who also made the explosive noir Gurgaon (Netflix), which tackled similar themes of violence perpetrated in patriarchal societies.
Mandar (Bengali).jpg)
Hoichoi
Shakespeare is a gift that keeps giving. Director Anirban Bhattacharya (in his OTT directorial debut) digs into the bard’s classic, Macbeth, remaking it with relish. Macbeth/Mandaar (the magnetic Debashish Mondal) works for the local leader, Dablu Bhai (Debesh Roychowdhury), in Geilpur, a fishing village in Bengal. Mandaar’s wife, Lady Macbeth/Laili (the stunning Sohini Sarkar), is desperate for a baby but Mandaar is impotent. What follows is a tale of greed, ambition and devastation brought on by the relentless pursuit of power. It is a visceral visual treat that I thought deserved to be experienced on the big screen. Though almost every moment fills you with dread, it’s impossible to stop binging. Look out for Mukaddar Mukherjee (director Bhattacharya), a corrupt and creepy cop whose constant chewing will disgust and enthrall you.
Sutliyaan (Hindi)
ZEE5
If you need a respite from all the blood and gore, tune into this feel-good series about the Chandel family in Bhopal. Emerging from the lockdown, three siblings, Rajan (Shiv Pandit), Ramni (Plabita Borthakur) and Raman (Vivaan Shah), arrive at their family home to spend time with their mother, Supriya (Ayesha Raza). The siblings could not be there for their beloved father’s (Vivek Mushran) funeral owing to Covid restrictions, and this brings up misgivings between the family members who are each dealing with their own issues. Ramni is struggling with a secret, Raman feels directionless, Rajan (the oldest) is burdened by debt. Supriya is trying to navigate life without her husband and finds a friend in her neighbor Trilok (Suneel Sinha), which leads to conflict in her household. Stories from smaller cities in India are being told on OTT platforms quite regularly—and for those who live outside India, there is much joy and nostalgia to be derived from the gullies and kirana shops of buzzing mohallas and colonies. If you want more of this kind of storytelling, look out for the third season of the much-loved Gullak, which will premiere on SonyLIV soon!
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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