TV-Shows
📺 Bandish Bandits (2020) - ★★★☆☆
My god season 2 of this show could never make up its mind on what it really wanted to be. So many good ideas on the table and yet felt like the show never wanted to settle on one - should it have been a classical singer coming to terms that classical music is not accessible to all? Should it have been about a pop singer realizing what her talent was? Was it about a disgraced son who rightfully demanded his place? Or was it about math and ai in music (not making this up!). Like anyone of those would have provided a good season worth of material and it does none of them well. The pop music unlike season 1 doesn’t work too well, but the classical pieces on the other hand are absolutely superlative! Even the classical fusion are awesome - Garaj Garaj rock and Saavan mohe tarasaaye were standouts.
📺 The Day of the Jackal (2024) - ★★★★☆
Another series that ideally should have ended in 8 episodes or less but is stretched to 10. Nonetheless excellent acting and some of the set pieces are just fun. The last 15 mins of 9th episode was just nail biting. Looking forward to season 2.
📺 Citadel Honey Bunny (2024) - ★★★★☆
This was surprisingly a fun watch considering we couldn’t get past 1 episode of the original citadel. Maybe they should let the Indian directors take over the series completely. The action set pieces and background music was on point and elevates a rather basic plot.
📺 Outer Banks (2020) - ★★★★☆
Season 4 continues to be the same campy senseless leave your brains at home teenage treasure finding adventure drama. Kid loves it and we like it too coz it’s just so brainless timeless. The lead cast chemistry is fantastic though.
📺 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) - ★★★★☆
Season 2 was so much better! Looking fwd to series now.
📺 Slow Horses (2022) - ★★★★★
Gawd I hope Apple just green lights all adaptations of the series of which I believe are 9!
📺 IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (2024) - ★★★★☆
Very well made taut retelling of the hijack. I have no idea why this was controversial in India - they really have useless controversy going on. Stellar star cast and pacing!
📺 Gullak (2019) - ★★★★☆
It’s hard to describe this series. A wonder years style show set in present India but emulating 90s feel and life. This show is so much all at once and so endearing. (And also, very funny!). TVF just keeps belting out terrific shows these days.
📺 Scam 2003: The Telgi Story (2023) - ★★★★☆
A worthy second part on a different scam in India. The acting by lead by absolutely first rate and I honestly couldn’t make out the real guy from actor. Well done series!
📺 The Bear - Season 3 - ★★★☆☆
I wanted to give it 3-1/2 stars. Started off brilliant and then just meandered away through the season. I hope next season is the last because there is nothing left.
📺 [Trying (2020)] Season 4 (https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/98177) - ★★★★★
I can’t wait for season 5 after that cliffhanger!
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, 2024 - ★★★½
I dont want Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movies for storytelling, but to see a master visual artist in action. In that department, Heeramandi does not disappoint. Good music & terrific performances except one actor (who was just pathetic). But the visuals are just stunning. Bhansali has an eye for details and staging of a scene, and while some may call it all fake, every frame is like a painting. More than anything else I was awed by the visual artistry of the series and that alone got a couple of stars from me!