Change Your Image
sadhanainsights
Reviews
Maharani (2021)
Fantastic
I've never seen Subhas Kapoor's or for that matter, even Huma Qureshi's work before. I am also not a fan of Indian political genre. But when I saw glimpses of this show's trailor, I became mildly interested.
The show is very interesting from the very beginning. The net of political connections between various characters and plots is very realistic, engrossing and also a bit complicated for my apolitical mind.
Even if all the actors are not A grade, their work is brilliant in this show.
I've seen season 1 completely and was sure that it'll bifurcate in big and dramatic way from the real life people it reflects. The end of season 1 didn't disappoint me in this regard. Looking forward to season 2. Might update this review after binging on it.
Instant Dream Home (2022)
Great show
Is fun. The whole team, even the team leader, is full of energy.
The way they discuss the ideas months before is almost like loud group meditation. The way that one guy always finds faults with the ideas and the team kind of expects it is fun. After couple of episodes, even I got busy trying to figure out whose ideas he is going to go after mercilessly. All in good fun. Very productive and talented team nonetheless. It is great to watch tidbits of their work on the day of.
Unlike many other interior shows, this group has got things figured. The time limit of 12 hours on the site is a format that I've seen for the first time.
I am waiting for 2nd season.
I highly recommend it.
Darlings (2022)
Dark indeed. Comedy not so much
The movie is fantastic.
After a long time, I truly enjoyed a Hindi-language movie.
I'll recommend this movie to all who are yet to experience Hindi movies or who have given up on Bollywood movies.
Please ignore reviews by men's rights group who are against the way the protagonist chooses to protect herself from domestic violence in the movie.
Fatma (2021)
Fantastic
A great story. Many unexpected twists - the last one being the best.
It was surprising how misogyny of the society came through. Didn't expect that - I thought that such narrative might be absent or poorly portrayed considering it is Turkish show. I guess Turkish show-makers are more honest (compared to makers of Indian shows) in showing socially relevant dramas even if this show us not strictly under that category.
Suzhal - The Vortex (2022)
Good story but.......
Good story and acting as fas as main events around the crime are concerned but the religious overtones are a turn off for me may be becoz I get overdose of religious spectacles as it is while living in India. Although efforts are made to connect the main story with the depicted deity's myth, it feels forced - as if to attract a particular demographic - and it also feels tacky compared to the superb acting and flow of the rest of the show.
Cloak & Dagger (2018)
Fantastic
I saw this series without knowing what it is about. Superheroes - but with great twist. The way these two figure out their powers and connect with each other and also with many others is surprising. A very new perspective on how these superheroes' powers work at deep psychological levels. I was unhappy that the series was cancelled so soon. But I got to see them again in Runaways so that was fun to see more mature versions of these guys.
Anatomy of a Scandal (2022)
Fantastic
Very well executed. Surprisingly good end. It did seem bland sometimes. Would've liked better if the prosecutor didn't have such personal connection to the case, considering already there were other couple of characters who also had potentially turbulent connection to the central male character.
Mai (2022)
Tabbar+Mom=Mai
If you've seen those 2, you needn't bother with this one. Watchable only due to Sakshi Talwar's presence
Too many Indian webseries are aping European and Turkish shows, with sarees and dhotis sprinkled in just like most Bollywood movies are copies of movies from other regions with AR Rehman music sprinkled on. Mai is not exception. I hope this doesn't become a trend.
Reacher (2022)
Has a very Barbie and Ken kind of vibe
It is too predictable. Reacher zeroing into the most beautiful, available attractive gal in the first episode itself. Lost interest the moment Roscoe says 'I know people. You have kind eyes' (translation: I know whr you and I are heading in this TV show)
Reacher finding a sympathetic character to side with but maintaining his neutrality until he finds his brother is dead. Suddenly that spurs him into action. Millions of people in the world work without having such personal slant to their work. Does it always have to be so in-your-face kind of personal reason for hero to get involved in action? Couldn't get past first episode.
She (2020)
Average
It's trying to show a woman's emotional journey, a prominent change in her taking place due to undercover work. In terms of showing how work usually happens in Mumbai police - their lingo, office culure, usual technical blinddpots etc including how women colleagues and criminals are treated will be very eye-opening for people who havr never dealt with them. That part is very realistic. But maybe if the things could have moved along faster, it'd have been at par with US procedural dramas.
The way the central character evolves is insightful but patchy. Maybe wooden acting or lack of directions or maybe even limitation of creating a Hindi show that won't offend so-called sensibilities of people like Sacred games did played a part in sluggish portrayal of her sexual awakening and emerging powers.
Ojing-eo geim (2021)
Painful. Pointless. Souless. Supposed portrayal of reality.
The synopsis by itself was a big turn-off for me. Moneyed people coming up with games for their amusement where poor people's lives are at stack and only one out of all players come out as winner /still-not-dead.
Its happening all around the world, in wars, in other crisis situations. We get it. But in real life, super-rich are very, very smart and never mention such 'games' even indirectly. They only mention charities their wives work for.
Lack of likeable characters was uninteresting. I know the trend is to show real, humane characters. But really, no likeable character at all? That's not believable either.
Only Murders in the Building (2021)
Boring
When I saw its promos, I became very excited, seeing big names, experienced cast. But it was a let down. Too slow.
Did we really need to know that much of the characters' back stories? The current happenings could have been made more interesting. And considering wide range of colorful characters living in the building where murders occur, the tv show turned out to be very bland.
I held onto my patience for upto the first quarter of the 3rd episode before giving up on it.
Mom (2017)
Rewatched it on Prime. It reminded me of so many things I missed first time
- Shridevi draws out slow, emoting scenes beautifully. It is a gentle, almost spiritual experience in comparison to generally fast-tracked emotional scenes that we see in most current movies.
- Adnan Siddiqui, who plays dad, also stands out brilliantly, even though many times his presence on the screen has been literally blurred to highlight Shridevi's.
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui as PI and Sajal Aly as Shridevi's step daughter have given powerful performances.
- Akshay khana plays traditional and well meaning, but helpless in face of legality kind of cop. It was painful to watch this character.
- in addition to highlighting mother's love, the movie also repeatedly points out that it is futile to expect justice from the justice system. This may sound callous but Sunny Deol has already done that. New angle please.
Overall it is a treat to watch this movie.
Nine Perfect Strangers (2021)
Slow
Fortunately I've never come across such an abusive therapist as Masha in my life.
Considering that there was a scope for fantastic imageries conjured by psychedelics, it turned out to be visually flat show. Even actors appeared bored (especially ones playing Tony, Ben and Zoe).
The most irritating thing in Marconi family was that their surviving child had to anchor the visions in their group psychedelic trip - it felt jarring that kid was taking caring of parents or taking responsibility of their experience, that too in a supposedly therapeutic atmosphere.
With so many characters from widely different backgrounds, the show could have been dynamic but it turned out to be boring. It felt as if at times actors were lost wondering what they were doing.
Travelers (2016)
Fantastic. Trend setting
This has been a tv show that I just stumbled upon and ended up loving it.
Waiting for travelers 2.0 tv show.
Friends: The Reunion (2021)
What?
Reminiscences. Supposedly shocking admission of curshes. Reading scripts. Hosted by someone who couldn't connect with its legacy.
Total flop.