Monthly review: Dec’21
We are finally into the last and exciting month of the year, December! I happened to finish the web series that I’ve been watching, touch upon an old movie, travel to Varanasi for a workation, explore many places there, and celebrate important occasions with my family. Another month where I couldn’t read any book with focus.
Disclaimer: This content may contain spoilers, and is poorly edited. You can find a couple of grammatical errors, and can leave this guy on the occasion of New Year.
Web series
Money Heist | Finale
I finished watching Money Heist, finally! I wasn’t satisfied with part one of the last season but enjoyed the second part. For the record, Money Heist is the first web series that I binge-watched in my life during the first nation lockdown.
Part-II has the same flavour of season one, where we couldn’t stop appreciating the characters, especially the Professor, and the story is on track to end without digressing from the plot points. I heard that Netflix greenlit a spin-off series on Berlin. Let’s see how it goes (I am not interested at this point, though).
Aarya | Season II
The Emmys nominated series, Aarya, came back with its season 2, and I was pretty impressed with the flow of the story. There were a couple of rough edges in season-1, but season-2 went totally organic on the basement season 1 has built upon. I particularly liked the performance of Aru and Sampath and the character development for ACP Khan.
You know, I like the love story of ACP Khan, and the conflict between the partners, and the way his partner motivates him to crack up the case and then marry. It’s so organic and has a sensible touch. Appreciate the writers for coming up with such a story thread in this crime drama.
Now, I’m eagerly waiting for the next season. Shekhawat-1, Rathore-0 (if you know, you know).
Better Call Saul | Season-3, 4, 5
Here I go! I finally completed the third and fourth seasons and halfway through the fifth season, which I’d hoped to finish on the first day of New Year.
Oh boy, Bob Odenkirk is one charming performer who’s got an incredible screen presence that keeps you hooked to the series. Totally in awe of him and will explore his performances in other films. He has the nerve to convince anyone with his words ❤
Movies
Maanaadu
I watched this Tamil film, starring Simbu and SJ Suryah in prominent roles. I was aware of the time loop concept present in the movie, thanks to Aha’s Kudi Edamaithe and was eagerly waiting for the film since handling such a story in a movie format might challenge the filmmaker. Guess what, Venkat Prabhu succeeded in making this film, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
SJ Suryah is a brilliant actor, and commercial cinema can’t afford to miss this star. He keeps you hooked on the screen, and the game-type screenplay immerses us into the film. Keeping aside the logic, which I don’t care about as long as the movie is engaging, this is an excellent attempt to prove the audience can happily upvote a film if they’re into it.
The storyline has underlying elements like hoping for communal harmony by stopping a riot that has a ripple effect on the state’s politics. I can happily vouch for it. I felt like playing a game, with each cheat code getting revealed after getting out every time during the fight sequence.
Chettu Kinda Pleader
This 1980s movie starring Rajendra Prasad and Urvashi was a remake of a Malayalam movie. I jumped into watching this movie to explore director Vamsy’s films and find the uniqueness in his films. My father is a fan of his movies, and the Telugu film circle respects the craft of Vamsy.
Needless to say, this movie is engaging, and I felt like I was reading a story written by Yandamoori, primarily due to the protagonist’s story. There is a scene in which he evolves into a strong man after repeatedly getting beaten up by the goons. I can’t help but compare the scene with parallels in many of Yandamoori’s stories.
This movie is refreshing for me, and the music by Ilayaraja keeps us into the film. Next up, April Okati Vidudhala, perhaps in January.
Other Stuff
I travelled to Varanasi this month for two weeks. I stayed in a hostel and explored many places. More about the trip is here.
I came across the Kannada Directors roundtable by Kairam Vashi and found the discussion topics interesting. I knew Hemanth and Pawan, but it was a revelation about Tharun Sridhar and Roopa Rao. Kannada cinema is evolving for good.
After much delay, I saw this short film, EyeShoe, by Vamsi Pujith. A good attempt in making a love story that brings the feels of watching a full-length feature film with good music and performances. The writing is good, and I somehow recalled Chetan Bhagat’s Revolution 2020 book while watching this short film. You can watch it here:
Thanks for supporting and encouraging me to write and publish here. It has been a great learning experience so far, and I promise it’s just a sample of something big and better coming your way.
Happy New Year, 2022. I wish this year teaches us many things, and we will get through this year with hope and strength.
