Screen Time: Love, Lust, and a Longing for Murder
A spy lives on the edge, couples get frisky, an Agatha Christie story gets an Indian makeover, a road trip turns revelatory, and a murder haunts a Punjabi family. In the last month of summer, there’s no end to the fun for viewers.
The Night Manager: Season 2 (Hindi)
Disney Hotstar
If you were anxiously curious about the fate of Shaan Sengupta (Aditya Roy Kapur), a Dhaka hotel night manager who witnesses a young girl’s murder by a drug kingpin, you already know that it gets worse for him. For those who haven’t watched it yet, the story is based on The Night Manager, an espionage novel by the late British writer John le Carré. It revolves around Shelly Rungta (Anil Kapoor), a notorious arms dealer who will stop at nothing—torturing his girlfriend or murdering his closest associates—to get his work done. Sengupta, tasked with infiltrating Rungta’s inner circle by intelligence officer Lipika Saikia (Tillotama Shome), is expected to bring Rungta back to India and answer for his crimes. Sengupta gains Rungta’s trust and even falls for his partner (Sobitha Dhulipala). There are a couple of interesting set pieces—an explosives demonstration in the desert by Rungta, followed by tense confrontations when Sengupta’s cover is almost blown. The story is gripping till the end. Anil Kapoor is the star of the second installment. He’s menacing and a delight to watch in an all-out negative role.
Lust Stories: Season 2 (Hindi)
Netflix
Tillotama Shome is having her moment! She stars in one of the four stories in this anthology from Netflix, bringing together directors Sujoy Ghosh, R. Balki, Konkona Sen Sharma (Death in the Gunj, her lovely debut as director, is on Prime Video), and Amit Ravindernath Sharma. Their four features also bring together stars Kajol, Vijay Varma, Tamannah Bhatia, Neena Gupta, and others. The best one out of the lot, in terms of story and performance, is The Mirror, which features Shome and Amruta Subhash. The talented actress (Sir, Prime Video) plays Ishita, a single professional who happens to see her domestic help, Seema (Amruta Subhash), in Ishita’s bedroom, where she and her husband— Kamal (Shrikant Yadav, a gem of a performer)—are sharing an intimate moment in Ishita’s bed! Shocked but curious, she continues to spy on the couple, who seem to be having these afternoon trysts regularly in Ishita’s apartment. Then Ishita gets caught in her voyeuristic adventures—and what happens next is anyone’s guess. Or is it? Honestly, this anthology isn’t as strong as the previous one that came out in 2018, but there are snatches of brilliance throughout. Kumud Mishra, who plays a lecherous zamindar, overshadows everyone else (even Kajol, his miserable wife) in the feature Tilchatta, while Neena Gupta steals the show with her hilarious turn as Dadi in Balki’s Made for Each Other. She advises her granddaughter to take her fiancé for a “test drive” in bed before she commits to marry him.
Sweet Kaaram Coffee (Tamil)
Prime Video
Three generations of women decide to ditch the annoying men in their lives and embark on a road trip that will change their lives forever. The oldest, matriarch Sundari (Lakshmi), is done with her son’s constant attention, her daughter-in-law Kaveri (Madhoo) is fed up with being taken for granted as a mother and homemaker, and granddaughter Santhy (Nivedita)—a young cricketer—simply wants some space from her boyfriend. As they meet interesting people along the way in different cities and have novel, life-changing experiences, all three women discover a side that they never imagined existed. The series, though pleasant to watch, especially for those like me who like tales of travel and adventure, could be tighter. But that’s a niggle. It’s a treat to see Lakshmi, a celebrated actress on the big screen, become Lakshmi on a streaming platform. It’s a crackling performance that elevates the series a couple of notches. Visually soothing, it’s ideal for a reflective and rainy day.
Charlie Chopra (Hindi)
Sony LIV
The misty and moody mountains of Manali form the perfect backdrop for Vishal Bhardwaj’s new venture, adapted from Agatha Christie’s novel, The Sittaford Mystery. Brigadier Rawat (Gulshan Grover), an army veteran, has been found murdered— under mysterious circumstances, naturally. His nephew, Jimmy (Vivaan Shah), the last person to see him alive, becomes the prime suspect. Enter his fiancée. A perky Punjabi detective from Patiala, Charlie Chopra (Wamiqa Gabbi, last seen in the fantastic Jubilee) is determined to prove his innocence. There’s a property dispute, a mysterious ghost-like figure roaming around the estate, and Solang Valley, the gorgeously spooky setting. There’s much to enjoy here—the theatrics, the background music, and a bevy of talent that includes Ratna Pathak Shah, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Priyanshu Painyuli, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and Lara Dutta. Bhardwaj is known for his adaptations of classic works in English literature (Omkara, Haider, Maqbool)—and he doesn’t disappoint with this fun whodunit.
Kohrra (Punjabi/Hindi)
Netflix
This six-part series, a riveting police procedural, is set in Punjab. The Dhillons are thrown into turmoil when Paul, the family’s young NRI scion, is found brutally murdered in the field just days before his wedding. His family has just returned from the U.K., where they are based, to a grudging extended family. Paul’s father, Steve (Manish Chaudhary), is engaged in a bitter property dispute with Manna (Varun Badola), the brother who stayed behind to look after their ailing sister, their lands, and their family. The local police, under pressure to find the killers, come up with many suspects, including Paul’s fiancée, her lover, and Paul’s cousin. Heading the investigation is sub-inspector Balbir Singh (Suvinder Vicky) and his sidekick, inspector Garundi (Barun Sobti). They too are dealing with demons of their own. Watch it for its evocative storytelling but also for the sensational Vicky. And watch his Milestone (Netflix) for another terrific performance.
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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