For the Love of Parallel Cinema, Ali Sethi, and Hopeless Romantics

Jan 20, 2024

Dear Reader,

We’re back! And, we are obsessively pondering over Aisha and Sid from Wake Up Sid. Just in case you are not cued in: An Oppo ad, directed by Shakun Batra and starring the original cast of the 2009 Ayan Mukerji film, gave a glimpse into the lives of Sid and friends in presumably, the present. It spurred a dismal response from some members of Team FC who seem to think that Aisha was too good for Sid, and the chances of them still being in a long-term relationship is “Less Than Likely”. This is upsetting for me. Is Aisha too good for Sid? Maybe. Yes? I have always thought the film was about two people earnestly negotiating how to be in love, with their flaws acknowledged and all. I am too much of a romantic to indict a death knell for a cosily written relationship. But, I see their point, even though Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma’s chemistry in the advertisement makes a compelling case for a second part, where Mukerji explores what it is like for two people with artistic pursuits to be married.

Speaking of romance, and chemistry, Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi’s thriller film, Sriram Raghavan’s Merry Christmas, hit the screens on 12th January. It was riddled with geeky references to the cinema that came before it — a joyful homage from a cinephile to the cinema that shaped him. The internet is divided between those who are seduced by the romance of it, and those who are underwhelmed by the undercooked mystery plot. Naturally, I am in the former camp, and not just because of Kaif’s and Sethupathi’s wistful Before Sunrise but with a murder plot, but due to how nice it is to see a different kind of Bollywood film, one where two men are not brawling. Hopefully, more of this in 2024? ~ J. Shruti

What We’re Watching

Pop culture in the late 2000s/early 2010s was overrun by all manner of supernatural creatures — vampires and werewolves, angels and demons. Stories like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries embodied the kind of unabashedly earnest young-adult drama that we rarely see in today’s self-serious fantasy landscape, and even if we do, it just doesn’t hit the same (or maybe that’s just my nostalgia speaking). So perhaps it was not surprising when, three days into the new year, I woke up with the urge to watch Teen Wolf, the iconic MTV show about, you guessed it, teenage werewolves. And reader, am I having the time of my life. This is the kind of chaotic storytelling that is best served by binge-watching — I couldn’t possibly have waited a week for every episode for six-seven years, not just because I’m impatient, but because there are simply too many sub-plots to keep track of. (There are YouTube compilations of the actors of Teen Wolf being discombobulated by some of the show’s storylines).

As much as I enjoy the contained, tightly-plotted limited series that have become the cornerstone of OTT today, there is an undeniable charm to a story that takes its time to unravel, that allows you to sink your teeth into it, and really care about the characters in a way that only happens when you spend hours and hours and hours with them. And if you encounter the occasional break in continuity, or an arc that doesn’t quite line up with the established characterisation, or a loose end that’s not tied up satisfactorily — hey, that’s all part of the fun too.

As it is, Teen Wolf is decidedly occupying my thoughts even when I’m not actually watching the show, as I ponder over a particularly juicy moment on my commute, or try unsuccessfully to predict what will happen next. But now, I must take your leave. The full moon will rise soon and this writer needs to get back to Scott, Stiles, Derek and the rest of the pack. ~ Sharanya Kumar

What We’re Listening To

Ali Sethi’s move from music rooted in Hindustani classical to the music inflected by it has been a fragile journey. Some of these attempts have stopped short of being moving in their desire to be experimental, pushing Sethi's art in directions we could never conceive of for that clear-eyed voice. He is letting it quake.

In his latest song ‘Love Like That’, with Jonita Gandhi, he offers both his roots and his queer winking notoriety. Ghar Nari Gawari, is a line from Khusrau where he says, let the wife say what she wants to, I have submitted myself to Nizam, Nizam being god, Nizam being male, Nizam being the sacred/sacral. In the song, he replaces Nizam with piya, piya being one's sweetheart.

This ode wrapped in pop-music percussion and a music video that is bursting with style, the marigolds, pagdis, a wedding veil but in marital red, gives the trite east-meets-west description a trippy little update. ~ Prathyush Parasuraman

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New Year, New Rabbit Hole

New Year resolutions aren’t meant to be kept, right? We make them only to forget all about them by the end of the first week. I've embarked on numerous ambitious endeavours over the years — attempting to learn French on three separate occasions, among other possibly life-altering decisions. However, there's one resolution that I have managed to keep: To find a great artist and properly go down the rabbit hole of their artistry. Last year, it was the enchanting Kate Winslet; the year before, the incomparable Meryl Streep. This time, my editor (Deepanjana, I'm looking at you) deserves a shout-out for nudging me toward the magnificent Shabana Azmi.

Amid animated debates on women's representation in cinema last month, I found myself persuaded to watch Masoom (1983). It wasn't just for how adorable baby Jugal Hansraj is in it, but also for the extraordinary talent of Shabana Azmi. That single experience birthed a resolution that's still kicking halfway through this seemingly never-ending month. In these few weeks alone, I've managed to watch Sparsh (1980), Arth (1982), Mandi (1983), and Fire (1996).

There's so much to discuss about each of these films, that I might need to implore my editor (yes, Deepanjana, I'm looking at you again) for the opportunity to write an extensive piece on this. For now, all I can say is that if, like me, you were unfortunately born too late to witness the surge of New Indian Cinema, take a moment and start here — dive into the rabbit hole, and you might discover a cinematic wonderland. ~ Kaira H

Nine Films and Two Festivals

Pongal and Sankranti kickstart the tradition of celebrations every year in the South industries, and this year saw as many as nine major films hit the screens. HanuMan and Guntur Kaaram are ruling the Telugu box office whereas Captain Miller is leading the Tamil Nadu charts closely followed by Ayalaan, trade experts tell us. In Telugu, all eyes were on Trivikram-Mahesh Babu’s hyper-local Guntur Kaaram but Prasanth Varma’s HanuMan came out flying just like his superhero protagonist in the film. With a mix of sci-fi and mythology, the film also created waves in the Hindi market. On the other hand, Dhanush's action film Captain Miller and Sivakarthikeyan's sci-fi comedy Ayalaan seem to have impressed different sets of audiences in Tamil Nadu. Star vehicles, period films, aliens, superheroes, sci-fi and a lot of action — well, that's been one hell of a start to 2024! ~ Harshini S.V.

Our Reviews This Week

Missed our latest reviews? Fear not, we've got them all lined up, just for you.

Fallen Leaves: The film is a nostalgic and hopeful portrait of love, and Aki Kaurismäki, the auteur, is auteuring hard here.

Main Atal Hoon: Starring Pankaj Tripathi, this Ravi Jadhav directorial covers six decades of the late Prime Minister’s life.

Indian Police Force: Rohit Shetty’s web-series debut is an action debacle.

Cheran’s Journey: Cheran’s web-series has a heart of gold, but is overlong and overly sentimental.

That’s all from us this week. We’ll be back, same time, same place with next week’s newsletter. This isn’t Fight Club and rules about secrecy don’t apply, so don’t forget to tell your friends to subscribe to FC Draft.