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The Split: The Marvelous Ms. Walker

Posted on November 8, 2025 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Genre : Drama
Year : 2018-2024
Episodes : 20 (4 Seasons)
Running time : 60 minutes (per episode)
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime
Director : Jessica Hobbs
Cast : Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan, Annabel Scholey, Fiona Button, Debolay Findlay, Barry Atsma, Meera Syal
Kid rating : G

The Split might as well be called Hannah and her sisters, because it IS about Hannah and her siblings. Hannah, Nina and Rose are daughters of hard-nosed lawyer Ruth who set up the family firm of Defoe’s, where lawyer daughters Hannah and Nina worked. When Season 1 opens, this is all in the past, and in the present, eldest daughter Hannah has left the firm after differences with the mater, and joined competitor Noble & Hale.

The star of the series is Hannah Stern, played by Nicola Walker. She is an accomplished lawyer, and married to lawyer Nathan Stern (Mangan). Hannah and Nathan juggle busy professional lives while raising a family. Despite differences, Hannah is also close to her sisters and mother.

Hannah specializes in marital law, so while the series delves into many of the divorce cases she takes up, it also devotes a good chunk of time to her personal dilemmas. Hannah is principled and savvy and attempts to do her best by her clients. On the personal front, Nathan is the love of her life, but at Noble & Hale she also works with Christie Carmichael (Atsma). It was, we are given to believe, between Nathan and Christie that Hannah had to choose. Christie lost out then. But he hasn’t given up hope yet.

There also fairly detailed episodic forays into Ruth, Nina and Rose’s lives, and their past with their estranged father. But it is around Hannah that the sun revolves. And rightly so. Nicola Walker is probably one of the most charismatic British actresses of present day television. I’ve seen her before as DCI Cassie Stewart in the fantastic Unforgotten (with Sanjeev Bhaskar), and as DS Stevie Stevenson in River. In The Split, she holds the show together. As Hannah, she’s the responsible, almost duty-bound daughter, wife, mother. She’s shrewd but fair, polished yet vulnerable, and attempts to the right thing even when it is the most difficult thing to do. You may not agree with everything Hannah does but such is Walker’s skill, you will feel for her.

This women-written, directed and produced series has 3 major seasons, and an ultra-short 4th. It is one of the rare series where women and their stories take centre-stage. Yes, male characters exist and are beautifully fleshed-out, but they exist only in relation to the female characters. All the seasons are gorgeous; a great balance of the professional and the personal, with twists and turns galore. An arresting screenplay, skilled direction, great acting and easy-to-like characters make this a compelling watch.

Posted in 2024, Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime Video Recommendations, drama, english, Good Shows To Watch On Amazon Prime, outstanding, passes Bechdel Test, rating-PG, recommended, series, women | Comments Off

Aspirants Series Review : A Must-Watch!

Posted on September 26, 2025 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Genre : Drama
Year : 2021, 2023
Episodes : 5 per Season
Running time : 45 minutes (per episode)
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime
Director : Apoorv Singh Karki
Cast : Naveen Kasturia, Abhilash Thapiyal, Shivankit Singh Parihar, Namita Dubey, Sunny Hinduja
Kid rating : G

Aspirants is a 2 season series from TVF, the makers of Panchayat. It is about three friends who are preparing for the UPSC examinations. All three live in old Rajinder Nagar of New Delhi, which is apparently known for it’s preparatory classes for the UPSC. The series focuses equally on the lives of the three as they focus on the UPSC – the rigors of the preparation, and the toll it takes when attempts come to nought.

Abhilash Sharma (Naveen Kasturia) is the most driven of the lot, even distancing himself from his girlfriend when he thinks the relationship is distracting him from his studies. His friend Gurinder Singh (Shivankit Singh Parihar), a tad more emotional than his friends, has a backup plan if he doesn’t make it in the UPSC. Swetketu (Abhilash Thapliyal) or SK is the peacemaker of the group, when the borderline righteous-and-smug-about-it Abhilash and the emotional Guri don’t get along.

The UPSC exam is tough and has many stages requiring years of preparation (only 0.2% of applicants actually get through). We get to see the three friends as they slog through the arduous process, attempt after attempt, honing their strategies and trying to find new ways of bettering their next crack at the exam. We also see their personal struggles, anxieties, and their relationships, some of which crumble along the way.

Season 1 has all three friends located in old Rajinder Nagar, in close contact, supporting each other, until there’s a falling out. In Season 2, the three have gone their separate ways, a little disappointed with life. They have grown into full-fledged adulthood, having left their student lives behind. They meet again but the bond between them is not quite the same.

Aspirants is beautifully written. It feels real and authentic. The characters seem like people we might know. The thread tying the story together might be the aspirations, but it is the way the characters are fleshed out that makes the series so arresting. They might be flawed, some only a little, some a little more, but one feels for all of them. There’s also an inspirational quality to Aspirants, as in the awe one feels for someone attempting a difficult task, striving for something larger than self. Abhilash is the main character in the series, and it is quite refreshing to see a hero with altruistic motives, in this era of self-praise and self-aggrandizement.

The friendship between the three friends, although tumultous, is a lovely thing to see. The three are very different people and often disagree. All three are right and good in their own way; one cannot help but be invested in their success and the continuation of their friendship come what may.

The direction is pretty tight, as is the screenplay. The music is melodious and has an addictive quality – my favorite is the Aspirants Theme. All of the actors in the series, whether it be a big role or small, have done stellar jobs. The series first debuted on Youtube, but both seasons are now available on Prime. There also three spin-offs on Youtube: SK Sir ki Class, Sandeep Bhaiya, Guri-Dhairya Ki Love Story.

Highly recommended.

Kidwise: Clean.

Posted in 2025, Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime Video Recommendations, drama, family-friendly, Good Shows To Watch On Amazon Prime, Must-see, outstanding, rating-G, recommended, series | Comments Off

Abir Gulaal Movie Review: No Rom, Only Com

Posted on September 21, 2025 by amodini

Rating : ⭐⭐
Genre: Romance
Year: 2025
Running time: 2 hours 18 minutes
Director: Aarti Bagdi
Cast: Vaani Kapoor, Fawad Khan, Parmeet Sethi, Lisa Haydon, Riddhi Dogra
Kid rating: PG

The question I have post-watch is: where’s the rom in this rom-com?

You’d think that with a pair as good-looking as the two leads, the romance would be rife. You’d be wrong. Director Bagdi manages to strip this film of any glimmer of romance; the spark between the leads wouldn’t even light the kindling on a cold winter’s day.

Vaani Kapoor is Gulal Bajaj – a girl who’s primary aim is to avoid getting married. She’s broken off two engagements already and is well on her way to her third. Fawad Khan is Abeer Singh, a London restauranteur who’s looking for new talent via a culinary competition in Jaipur.

Gulal escapes from a homely Gangaur Pooja, dons a pair of boots and a leather jacket on top of her ghagra choli, shimmies down the balcony of her room, shows up at the competition, whereupon she loses the jacket and the boots, sings and dances to a melodious ditty AND also wins the competition. Easy-peasy.

London dreams secured, she bids goodbye to daddy dearest and peppy Nani (Farida Jalal, because who else) and zooms her way to London first-class. Here, in the company of cousin Ruchi she parties into the wee hours of the night, forgetting to show up for her chef training job – the reason she came to London in the first place. So much for those dreams.

Understandably the boss, Abeer, is upset. But then this is a Bollywood romance. The rest of the film’s story is left as an exercise (in imagination) to the reader. Please do not use your entire brain in doing this.

If you’ve read this far, you must have gathered that I’m not a fan of this film. I love easy-breezy romance as much as the next person, but throw me a bone. Some romantic tension, a little witty banter? No sign of any of that in this film! In the initial scenes when the two meet, their supposedly flirtatious lines were so boring, I almost went to sleep.

There is zero development of romance. One moment they are in love, yet two minutes before they apparently were not! Gulal happily traipses past Abeer and his close friendship with lovely work associate Laila (Lisa Haydon) with nary a trace of jealousy (or any other emotion). Abeer must rescue Gulal from various sticky situations but I couldn’t discern anything other that frustration in him. There is not a hint of any romantic feelings between the two until it’s full-out Bollywood luv-shuv.

To believe in any love-story one must at the very least have believable characters. Gulal’s character is an inconsistent mix of ditzy yet sensitive and intuitive, kind yet completely oblivious to another’s predicament, supposedly goal-oriented yet unwilling to put in any work to achieve said goals. She says a lot but does little; there’s no there there. Abeer’s character was fleshed out a bit better, but not enough to get invested in.

Then there is the long drawn-out nonsensical twist at the end. It came out of nowhere and made zero logical sense. If they did want to introduce a “problem” in the romance there were a 100 more believable ways to have done it.

I can’t fault the actors here though. Kapoor can do a lot better than ditzy – case in point Befikre. And Khan is a fine actor, so whatever (little) he does here is at the director’s direction. They both looked good – Kapoor in particular.

This film is based on a long-standing romantic trope – a trope I’m a fan of. Emma is a favorite read and Aisha was a lovely film. But Abir-Gulal executes this trope quite badly.

That said, if you’re in the mood for a brainless, flat romance, this one’s the ticket.

Kidwise: Clean.

Posted in 2025, bollywood, family-friendly, rating-G, romance | Comments Off

Meiyazhagan : Poetry in motion

Posted on August 15, 2025 by amodini

Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Genre: Drama
Year: 2024
Running time: 2 hours 57 minutes
Director: C. Prem Kumar
Cast: Arvind Swamy, Karthi
Kid rating: PG

I had read many good reviews of Meiyazhagan and added it to my Netflix watch-list. And there it sat for quite a while, until one day it finally percolated upwards and I watched it. So, yes, high expectations and all that – but this film surpassed them. So good! I sobbed my eyes out with this one.

Arul lives in his family’s ancestral home with his parents and siblings. His life is built around friends and family in his hometown. But a legal dispute with the home forces his family to up and leave Thanjavur for the big city of Madras.

Arul is heartbroken.

22 years later, now a householder with a family of his own, Arul (Arvind Swamy) must return back to his hometown to attend the wedding of his young cousin Bhuvana. The return to familiar memories, because that is what this trip will entail, will be painful, but Bhuvana is very dear to him, so go he must. He plans to make a short trip, and return by nightfall.

Back in his hometown after more than two decades, Arul wanders the familiar streets, and even looks up his beloved old home, now lost to others. At the wedding venue, Arul meets many relatives and old friends. All remember him fondly and speak with great affection about his family. Then he meets one other person he does not recognize. This person though seems to know him very well, calls him “Athaan” (elder brother) and attaches himself to Arul for the rest of the evening, much to Arul’s annoyance. Then Arul misses the bus back to Madras, and the evening devolves from there.

Meiyazhagan is almost a quaint film. Where most films these days seem to blare out their message, Meiyazhagan is almost poetic and soft-spoken by comparison. It is a simple story told with great, nuanced detail. Not many big events happen in this film. A man goes to attend a wedding and he returns home. The people and the conversations during that short time make up the bulk of this film. Where a busier film would hurry through, this graceful film takes it’s time, giving importance to each glance, every shake of the head.

The beauty of this film lies in it’s ability to get us invested in it’s story and characters. There’s the bigger plot-line with Arul and his unresolved anguish/emotional baggage. But then there are smaller, almost anecdotal storylines which weave into the bigger plot. Each little plot line adds to the story and the the personalities of the characters. The characters too are wonderfully drawn, fleshed out in great detail and brought to life by some fabulous performances. Arvind Swamy and Karthi were just marvelous!

I found Meiyazhagan to be very elegant in it’s philosophy. And here’s what I mean by that. Like with any good story, it too has good characters and bad. And the characters meander, lose their way, and are beset with troubles. There is a struggle between choosing to do the wrong thing or taking the high road. But this film portrays that struggle so beautifully, by showing (not telling), that it’s a pleasure to watch! I’m also in awe of the people that populate this film, so dignified are they! There’s a sense of benevolence and goodness that pervades this film. Reminds me of this book.

The emotions ring true, the people feel real and relatable. This film could have gone into melodrama territory but doesn’t, such is director Prem Kumar’s skill. Meiyazhagan is a many-flavored tale. There is loss, hurt, anger and anguish, but there is also joy, hope and forgiveness. This was a gorgeous film, and an amazing watch. Highly recommended.

Kidwise: Clean.

Posted in 2024, directors, drama, family-friendly, Must-see, Netflix Recommendations, outstanding, rating-G, recommended, Tamil, WhaTWON | Comments Off

Raat Jawaan Hai: A Heartwarming Slice of Life

Posted on August 8, 2025 by amodini

Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐️
Genre: Drama
Year: 2024
Running time: ~35 minutes per episode
Number of episodes: 9
Cast: Barun Sobti, Anjali Anand, Priya Bapat
Kid rating: PG-13

Raat Jawaan Hai is about three friends—Avinash (Barun Sobti), Radhika (Anjali Anand), and Suman (Priya Bapat) juggling marriage, families, parenthood, careers and evolving identities while supporting each other through life’s crises.

Avinash (Barun Sobti) is a stay‑at‑home dad. He is happy to be home with his baby, but he also grapples with societal (and parental) judgment because he stays home and his wife goes out to work. Then there’s outspoken and feisty Radhika (Anjali Anand) – she’s managing a kid, marriage, and memories of the career she had pre-baby. Relatively gentler, the third of the trio, Suman (Priya Bapat) is more introspective and thoughtful and sometimes feels overshadowed by the boisterous two.

Episode by episode, we see the emotional depth and the firm bonding between the three. Each episode is about a different happening in their lives, and deals with a facet of modern life (and surviving it happily). Sometimes it’s just planning an evening out together, sans kids and spouses. Then there is the episode on the search for the perfect nanny and the focus on class and privilege that comes along with it. Along the way we get to see Radhika’s umbrage over being called “just a housewife”, Suman’s relationship with her father, and Avinash’s quiet internal struggle – stay home or get back to the workforce?

Make no mistake though, every episode is filled with light-hearted humor and emotional depth. We know Avinash, Radhika, and Suman are true friends, even when they argue or disagree. It is very easy to like and relate to all three, and we are firmly invested in their friendship and their lives.

The situations feel very authentic and so does the fabulous acting. Sumeet Vyas’s strong direction keeps it interesting and has the series moving along briskly. Each episode of Raat Jawaan Hai is a gorgeous, sun-dappled, slice of life. This series is a charming, feel-good watch. Highly recommended!

Kidwise: Clean; although does touch upon some adult topics.

Posted in 2025, comedy, directors, drama, rating-PG13, recommended, series | Comments Off

Why Murderbot Misses the Mark: Season 1 Review

Posted on August 2, 2025 by amodini

Rating : ⭐⭐⭐️
Genre: Sci-fi
Year: 2025
Running time: 30 minutes per episode
Number of episodes: 10
Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tamara Podemski, Tattiawna Jones
Kid rating: PG

Having finally finished Season 1 of Apple TV’s Murderbot series, I only have one question: Why was this series not better? I mean, it is based on some wonderful, swashbuckling books – The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells – and this first season is based on the first book of the series All Systems Red. So they had the material. How then did it manage to be so underwhelming?

If you haven’t read the books – here is a brief summary (detailed review at my book blog). Dr. Mensah (Dumezwani) and her team of intrepid scientists (of The Preservation Alliance) are exploring a new world in The Corporation Rim. For liability purposes they are forced into getting a Security robot, but with financial constraints they go for an older model. Enter Murderbot.

Of course he doesn’t publicize the fact that he calls himself that or that he has surreptitiously disabled his Governor Module – the system software that keeps him obedient and prevents him from killing his clients. So Murderbot (or SecUnit as he is generally known) appears to be controlled by his clients, but he has plenty of free will which he spends downloading episodes of the soap opera The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon and watching them as he “secures the perimeter”.

Now, the wonderful thing about Martha Welles’s books is Murderbot – a dry, sarcastic, inadvertently funny, powerful robot, who wants to do the right thing. Oh, to be this smart and powerful enough to do what you want, and still want to do the right thing? See our hearts melting. Altruism is a powerful drug.

Murderbot is smart and sassy, but human interactions, especially the overtly friendly crew of Preservation Alliance, and their constant need to talk things over, give him the heebie-jeebies. During space jaunts, he’d rather travel in cargo. He doesn’t want to partake of social gatherings or make eye contact. Talking about feelings makes his system efficiency drop.

As you read the books, you form character images form in your head. I’d imagined Murderbot as a more earthy, stocky creature, not a Nordic model like Skaarsgard, although I must say that Skaarsgard does do well in this role. Out of all the Preservation Alliance crew, Dr Mensah and Gurathin’s characters are the most interesting. Rathee seems kinda annoying, and a tad juvenile. Arada is alright, but I didn’t expect Pin Lee to look the way she looked. Dr. Bharadwaj, to my surprise, is not played by an Indian actor (reminds me of Venkat Kapoor of The Martian).

The crew is underwhelming and inconsistent – which wasn’t how I felt about them while reading the book. In the TV interpretation Dr. Mensah is a fearless leader but she is also given to spasms of duh! like when she ** spoiler alert ** expects Murderbot to still recognize the crew after a complete memory wipe. Erm . . . how? Whither logic? Isn’t she a scientist? ** end spoiler alert ** . One minute Mensah could be a cool, calm, composed leader thinking on her feet, the next she could be making dithering, bombastic statements.

Gurathin has a decent backstory. Rathee, Bharadwaj, Arrada and PinLee were meh. Also suffered from similar spasms of duh. And then they introduced the throuple thing, which didn’t make any sense or help the narrative structure any.

The 1st season had 10, episodes of approximately 30-35 minutes each, which felt too short. Right when they’d sink their teeth into an issue, the episode would end. Each short episode felt similar to the one before, featuring one of the three: a potential problem, a straight-talking SecUnit trying to steer clear of trouble, the dithering crew not able to decide on a firm (and logical) course of action. With the underwhelming supporting cast, the very average background music, this series felt forced. Like they were trying too hard to be funny. A middling show this one, but one to watch for Martha Wells fans.

Posted in 2025, AppleTV+, book to film, humor, rating-PG, sci-fi, series | Comments Off

Best Hindi Movies of 2024

Posted on July 30, 2025 by amodini

A little late 🙂 but here they are:

10. Crew: A breezy entertainer about 3 air-hostesses and friends (Kareena Kapoor, Tabu, Kriti Sanon) taking the not-so-moral path to overcome financial difficulties, this one is a decent watch.

9. Teri Baaton Main Aisa Uljha Jiya: On a US jaunt, visiting his aunt, Aryan meets Sifra and falls madly in love with her. There is more to Sifra than meets the eye though, and when the truth comes to light, all hell breaks loose. This is sci-fi meets bollywood at its campiest, but yet fun to watch with the good-looking lead pair (Kriti Sanon, Shahid Kapoor).

8. Vedaa: Vedaa is a socially conscious action drama, featuring Sharvari Wagh and John Abraham. The film focuses on caste violence and atrocities, and is a fast-paced watch. If this had been a little less commercial and a little more nuanced, it would have ranked better on this list.

7. Do aur do pyaar: A remake of the 2017 American film The Lovers, this film explores emotional drift in married life. Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi star, along with Sendhil Ramamurthy (remember him from the lovely Shor In The City?)

6. Khel khel mein: A group of friends decide to really get into each other’s business – almost as a gag, but things take a turn for the serious as unexpected secrets are revealed. This is a quirky, off-beat film and an entertaining watch. The huge star cast (Akshay Kumar, Vaani Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, Ammy Virk , Aditya Seal, Pragya Jaiswal, Fardeen Khan) adds to the appeal.

5. All India Rank: Written and directed by Varun Grover (and inspired by his own experiences) this is best described as a coming of age film. The film is about Vivek Singh (Bodhisattva Sharma) who’s preparing for the IIT JEE in Kota – the student life depicted has refrains of Kota Factory. It feels authentic and is worth watching for the lovely acting and the nuanced characters.

4. Amar Singh Chamkila: Directed by Imtiaz Ali, this stars Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, and is a biographical musical drama about the turbulent life of Punjabi folk singer Amar Singh Chamkila and his wife Amarjot. I knew nothing about him before the film, but I found it moving and interesting.

3. Bhakshak: This hard-hitting film about a lone, brave woman trying to fight systemic abuse is at times hard to watch. Bhumi Pednekar and Sanjay Mishra deliver stunning performances in this crime thriller/ social drama.

2. Kill: This film is a condensed action thriller, packing tons of gore and blood into 1 hour 45 minutes. It is intense – no songs, additional melodrama or moments of levity to dilute the pace. All we get as a let-up are snatches of a romance; little flashbacks, foils to the present blood-letting. Lakshya and Tanya Maniktala (of A Suitable Boy fame) star.

1. Laapata Ladies: The feel‑good comedy-drama of the year, this pleasant film is directed by Kiran Rao with a relatively unknown cast (Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Rana, Sparsh Srivastav).

Posted in 2024, annual roundup, Best hindi movies, bio-pic, bollywood, Hindi Movies List, lists, recommended, Top 10 | Comments Off

Saiyaara Movie Review: A Romantic Disappointment

Posted on July 28, 2025 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️
Genre: Romance
Year: 2025
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Director: Mohit Suri
Cast: Aneet Padda, Ahaan Panday, Geeta Sharma
Kid rating: PG

Saiyaara is apparently a sleeper hit. This film has been running houseful and I finally managed to see it this afternoon. After the way this film was hyped, I was hoping that this would indeed be a novel romance. Alas, it was not to be.

Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda) has suffered a major life setback, and it has left her withdrawn and unhappy. Then she meets Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday), a young musician with a fiery temper. When the two are thrown together during a song collaboration (she’s a writer) they fall in love. But there are more problems in store for the young couple; they just don’t know it yet . . .

Let me start with the good. This is a Mohit Suri film and a Yash Raj production, so the film has the sheen of expensive film-making. The execution is done well, and technically it’s not a bad film. The lead actors making their debut also do a decent job.

The problem is that Saiyaara is all melodrama and very little character development. This is a romance and to feel for the two star-crossed lovers we need to actually like them or at the very least sympathize with them. We can’t though because the character development is little to non-existent.

Vaani is a timid wallflower with parents who are a little too involved in her life. Quite coddled, Vaani lacks essential life skills, but she mopes rather well. Krish is an angry young man. When he is not brawling or hooking up with random women, he walks around with a self-confident swagger. Bollywood machismo at its best.

Angry Krish is also angry and overbearing around Vaani. He bosses her around, feels free to invade her privacy, and Vaani, instead of running a mile, falls in love with him. From the moment these two meet, thanks to director Suri, each scene between the two is a stylized encounter. The aesthetics are sound enough, so it is a pity that the situations are so cringy and contrived; there’s not a shred of true emotion in all that romance.

While Vaani and Krish are given backstories to explain why they behave the way they do, it is never quite convincing. We never get a feel for who these people are, or what makes them tick. I don’t fault the actors for that – both Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda did fine acting-wise. They don’t have super-impressive personalities though, so not sure how they would do in grittier roles, minus all the Suri styling.

The background music is incessant, so much so that one never actually gets a chance to feel for the characters on one’s own – the music just dins it in. Mohit Suri’s films are generally strong on melodrama and thin on substance. So too with this film. But unlike his films which have great music, Saiyaara suffers from a very average soundtrack.

This film’s plot line is a jaded one, and uses hackneyed Bollywood tropes. Saiyara regurgitates the same old juvenile nonsense and presents it as a romance. If you really want to watch a good romance in the same vein, watch Rockstar or see this list of Best Romances. There is nothing new or fresh about Saiyara’s tired tripe; these are yesterday’s leftovers, served cold.

Kidwise: Liplocks and one sex scene. The real damage comes in subjecting your child to puerile notions of romance, images of women as helpless, hesitant waifs.

Posted in 2025, directors, rating-PG, romance | Comments Off

Why You Should Watch Gram Chikitsalay on Amazon Prime

Posted on July 25, 2025 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Genre : Drama
Year : 2025
Episodes : 5
Running time : 40 minutes (per episode)
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime
Director : Deepak Kumar Mishra
Cast : Amol Parashar, Vinay Pathak, Anandeshwar Dwivedi, Akash Makhija, Garima Singh
Kid rating : G

Remember Panchayat? Well, here is a cousin of sorts – a do-gooder doctor come to set up shop in the hinterland. Not because he needs to, but because he wants to. And if that supreme altruism doesn’t warm the cockles of your cynical heart, what does?

Dr. Prabhat Sinha comes to the remote village of Bhatkandi, Jharkhand to serve as the doctor at the neglected Primary Health Centre (PHC). When he locates the PHC, access is difficult, because it is in the middle of a field, and the tall crop is hard to wade through. On entry, he finds the PHC rundown—broken equipment, missing medicines, poorly motivated staff. The villagers flock to the local quack, Chetak Kumar (Vinay Pathak), who treats them by Googling symptoms.

Prabhat’s altruistic enthusiasm is somewhat tamped by the bureaucratic apathy & corruption, political interference, and local superstitions of the villagers. But he is not one to give up easily, and makes it his aim to slowly wean the villagers away from the quack. It will be an uphill task.

While the overarching premise is similar to Panchayat’s , Gram Chikitsalay manages to hold it’s own. Amol Parashar as Dr. Sinha does well as an earnest young man who has set out to do good. Vinay Pathak as the quack is also marvelous. Anandeshwar Dwivedi as the lazy compounder Phutani, Akash Makhija as ward boy Govind, Garima Vikrant Singh as nurse Indu, and Santu Kumar as Indu’s son Sudhir round off the rest of the cast.

The series portrays the dismal state of rural healthcare, and one lone man’s fight to bring it to this small village. This 5 episode series tells this story with heart, making us root for the hero. I enjoyed the simple story-telling, and would compare it to Panchayat as well as Laakhon Mein Ek – Season 2, although the latter lacks the comedic element of Gram Chikitsalay.

Season 1 was an interesting watch. I look forward to Season 2.

Posted in 2025, Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime Video Recommendations, directors, drama, family-friendly, Good Shows To Watch On Amazon Prime, humor, recommended, series, social issues | Comments Off

Movie Review : Aap Jaisa Koi (2025)

Posted on July 18, 2025 by amodini

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐ 1/2
Genre: Romance
Year: 2025
Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Director: Vivek Soni
Cast: Madhavan, Fatima Sana Sheikh, Manish Chaudhary, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Namit Das
Kid rating: PG

The trailer of Aap Jaisa Koi looked amazing, an actual quietly cool film questioning regressive social mores. Plus it stars Fatima Sana Sheikh who pulled at our heartstrings so effectively in the recent Metro In Dino, AND a cleaned up, shaved Madhavan. So does it deliver? Well . . . yes and no.

Shrirenu Tripathi (Madhavan) is a 42 year old Sanskrit teacher. He meets 32 year old French teacher Madhu Bose (Sheikh) from Kolkata, via the arranged marriage route. The two like each other despite differences in outlook – she is a liberal, independent woman, while he is a little more staid, still rooted in old world mores and morality.

One can almost hear the wedding bells when the relationship is put to the test. Is what’s good for the gander good for the goose? Not per Shrirenu. Madhu wants a marriage of true equality, while Shrirenu demurs. The twain might never meet.

This film reminded me of the wonderful (and much better) Tanu Weds Manu in it’s romantic tone, it’s small-towny feel and the soulful ballads. Shrirenu lives in Jamshedpur, a shy, hesitant, lonely bachelor who would like some (respectable) female comfort. When the lovely, high-heeled, chiffon-clad Madhu appears on the scene, Shrirenu cannot believe his luck.

Both Shrirenu and Madhu’s characters are appealingly sketched out. Madhavan and Fatima bring them to life. I am glad to see Madhavan back in form again as charmingly insecure Shrirenu. And Fatima Sana Sheikh is absolutely marvelous as the luminous Miss Bose. I loved that her character exuded quiet self-confidence. Even when she questions Shrirenu’s patriarchal outlook, it is not in the strident tones of the weak, but in the reasonable tones of a woman who knows her worth and will brook no nonsense.

Also nicely done are their family members. Manish Chaudhari as Shrirenu’s overbearing, patriarchal brother and Ayesha Raza as his sweet bhabhi are total scene-stealers. Madhu’s large family is well-portrayed as educated and forward-thinking. Namit Das as Shrirenu’s bumchum pal was great.

Aap Jaisa Koi as a film was lovely to behold, each frame so well put together. Lovely tree-lined streets, the elegance of Kolkata, softly focused frames! Kudos to cinematographer Debojeet Ray.

Here’s the rub though: despite all these positives, this film does not succeed like it should have. It started off well, but then it dragged its feet. It dithered. The screenplay faltered. All that lovely romantic energy just dissipated. Also, while I did like Shrirenu’s character, it is a tad annoying to see yet another hero take the easy way out. Made for a namby-pamby ending.

But that’s my grouse. Aap Jaisa Koi is still miles ahead of the chauvinist crap Bollywood dishes out as the norm. And yes, it’s a simple, non-deafening, pleasant, visually pleasing film. A one-time watch recommended.

Kidwise: Clean.