Nitin Luthra

I write this review infuriated with what I think is one of the worst shows ever written. The anger comes from the fact that the writers have destroyed the legacy of a wonderful show like The Game of Thrones. GoT was a fantastic show now beacause it had dragons or white walkers, not bcoz of its big budget, it was a great show despite gratuitous sex scenes, it was great bcoz of its fantastic writing that was intelligent and kept the audience on tenterhooks. If only, the producers of this show had invested in good writers, the show could have been tolerable. No character is likeable, the story makes no sense, the viewer not given a peek into most characters’ lives or motivations. Absolute disaster! The contrast between the two shows is a study in how the foundation of any good story is good quality writing. Please fire the writers or cancel any future seasons! Update: now that I am disappointed in season 2, my hope lies with Rings of Power season 2 whose trailer looks quite promising.

The youth of India had been eager for good quality content that reflected on our everyday lives. Even Netflix had been disappointing largely but Amazon Prime’s Panchayat is really a landmark show for the Hindi audiences. There are so many good things about its theme-the dissociation between its urban youth and rural ethos. Panchayat embeds an urban youth in a completely realistic rural setting. If offers a critique of the urban youth who knows nothing about life in the countryside. The story depicts his acculturation into this village life & culture. If there is a hero in this show, it’s the writers. Great show!

An interesting and titillating murder mystery but an incredibly annoying lead.

Don’t get fooled by the good reviews. One of the most horrible and frustrating movies I have ever seen. Spoiler alert: a witless couple walks into an unsafe environment and a group of teenagers led by a bully murder the husband and the bully gets away with it. The end! The movie is meant to titillate and then frustrate the audience with one ridiculous scenario after another. I hated it way before the ending. I don’t recommend watching it at all!

This is a fantastic show. You have to let it grow on you though. Season 1 is a drag and Farris is the opposite of funny. But Janney is the queen who carries this show. Season 2 onwards you will fall in love with it. Especially the entire AA group of gals brings this show on its own. It gets very funny by the end of season 2 and remains that way for the entire duration. I am sad that it ended this year. I watch a couple episodes every night before going to bed.

Season 1 is the best. But the other seasons, especially Season 3, are completely illogical. Exasperating for its ridiculous writing and exasperating storyline. It's pseudo-philosophical and the story makes no sense. Prepare to be exasperated and annoyed. A White privileged man keeps murdering and breaking all kinds of law and the police and the entire legal system keep protecting him. The worst police officer I have seen on television is the lead.

It's a take on a classic whodunnit. There's a murder on a boat (instead of a train) and we have some waggish and goofy protagonists who aren't supposed to be there and will eventually end up solving the mystery. If they had chosen any other actress other than Jennifer Anniston, this movie might have been a dud. But she carries the movie on her shoulders with great ease. Her subtle charm and naturally comic timing makes the movie breezy and delightful.

It is ironic that even those who were singing paeans of The Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian story set in a future where democracy has fallen and a theocratic (Christian) state has been established, are finding it hard to digest a similar take in the Indian context. Leila is no Handmaid's Tale but its a powerful start of something new and challenging. This show is not about a particular religion or state, its about fundamentalism and totalitarian governments. The point of the story is not to criticise any particular religion but to warn us that every religion has the potential to become fundamentalist. And thats why, it always begins by raising questions against the dominant religion in a society. The show is a critique of every political aspect of the contemporary. If it points to the dystopian potential of hinduism, it is equally caustic of the liberal insensitivity to the status quo. The fundamentalism of muslims is just as well criticised as the ivory towers of 'khan market liberaIs' blissfully unaware of the sufferings of the less-privileged around them. If you think that your political affiliations are democratic then you needn't be threatened by the show. However, if it makes you uncomfortable then you have to introspect what is it that hurts you so much. Your discomfort is a sign of the fragility of your beliefs, it doesn't have much to do with the show's content. For those who are thinking beings, it wont be too hard for you to appreciate the show despite the many flaws in storytelling.