Phulera Politics: It couldn’t last—the rural paradise that is Phulera, in UP, had to encounter violence and wickedness, which happened by the end of Season 3. The popularity of this…

Hungarian Adventure: The introduction given to the titular character is cute, Detective Sherdil, not so much. Because he is played by Diljit Dosanjh, whose stardom is at an ascendant, and he…

Across The Spectrum: Those who have never suffered from gender dysmorphia would probably not be able to understand what trans people go through. In Transit, the four-part documentary series (on Amazon…

They were called naachne-gaanewali, with derision—the tawaifs—whose place in Indian society and contribution to the performing arts is gradually being recognized. The stage show O Gaanewali, by Avanti Patel and Rutuja Lad gives…

Hate Unlimited: In India, most people will suppress their natural compassion and advise not to get involved in other people’s problems. Karan Tejpal’s Stolen is about two brothers who get caught up…

Five Times Zero: The first Housefull movie came out in 2010; since then the boys have grown to men but the antics remain juvenile. No cleavage passes without being peered down,…

The Middle Circle: If there has been something missing in the streaming space it is stories about ordinary middle class people, leading ordinary lives. The assumption is that people want…

As The Bird Flies: The release of this small film, Chidiya, is a story of persistence, quite like the ne’er-say-die spirit of its two young lead characters. The film made in 2016,…

The Good Lawyer: A snooty lawyer for a large law firm, tells Madhav Mishra (Pankaj Tripathi) that they value his services, because he has an “aam aadmi chehra.” Mishra appears…

Psycho Out: A magpie is a noisy bird attracted to shiny objects but in police parlance, a prison informer who spies on his cellmates for the cops is given that…