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7 Underrated Netflix Movies To Watch During Lockdown

By DU Beat April 7, 2020

Self-quarantining is the best way to beat the coronavirus, but there are not many ways to beat boredom amidst the country’s lockdown. Here is a list of underrated Netflix movies that you can obsess over.

1. 50/50 (2011)
The movie is closely inspired by its writer, Will Reiser, and his own battle with cancer. Seth Rogen’s character is also based on his own experience. This comedy-drama essentially captures the hardships faced by a cancer patient. The protagonist, Adam Lerner, is diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called schwannoma neurofibrosarcoma that has a survival rate of 50/50.

Image Credits: Way Too Indie

2. The Platform (2019)
This science fiction horror-thriller movie is set in a prison the inmates are provided food through a distinct platform that descends the levels of the prison tower. This distribution system is immensely flawed as the prisoners on top levels have an unfair advantage of procuring more food, and the ones living below have no option but to accept the food that is left.

Image Credits: Collider

3. The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)
Starring Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez, this comedy-drama revolves around an 18-year-old boy named Trevor, who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and his relationship with his caregiver, played by Paul Rudd. Trevor dreamt of visiting the world’s deepest pit which eventually pans out perfectly as the team embarks on a journey to fulfill his wishes.

Image Credits: Iowa State Daily

4. 6 Days (2017)
This action-thriller is based on a real event, revolving around the siege which took place when armed gunmen entered the Iranian Embassy in London and took twenty six people as hostages in April 1980. It took six days to finally have a standoff that leads to inevitable consequences.

Image Credits: NME.com

5. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
The movie stars Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, and this romantic-comedy essentially revolves around their dysfunctional bond that strengthens as they get to know each other a little better. Pat, played by Bradley Cooper, has bipolar disorder and was released from the psychiatric hospital after an episode wherein he catches his wife with another man.

Image Credits: The Guardian

6. Before I Go to Sleep (2014)
Based on a novel by S.J Watson with the same name, this psychological thriller film stars Nicole Kidman who plays the role of Christine who wakes up every morning with a man she does not know and forgets the happenings every night as she goes to sleep, and wakes up the next morning with a clean slate and no memory of how ended up in that bed.

Image Credits: Los Angeles Times

7. Uncut Gems (2019)
The viewers will not witness Adam Sandler as his usual funny self, but as a Jewish gambling addict who must retrieve a precious gem he bought to pay off his debts.

Image Credits: The Mill

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Suhani Malhotra

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Guilty Review: A Disappointment for #MeToo

By Sakshi Arora April 1, 2020

Addressing the MeToo movements of 2018, the new Netflix original, Guilty, attempts to question our morality but fails to be true and fair. Read the review for a deeper insight.

Portraying college life in a vast variety of forms through Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, 2 States and Wake Up Sid, Karan Johar presents to his audience, yet another such depiction of the same in his latest production, Guilty, directed by Ruchi Narain. Guilty is a Netflix original based in the prime student-hub of the country, the Delhi University, aiming to address the significance and relevance of the #MeToo movement that began in India in late 2018. Including elements of slut shaming, class differences, political influence, mental disorders and many more, Guilty attempts to cover a case of rape accusation in its most complicated nature, honestly defining the idiom – too many cooks spoil the broth.

The movie stars Kiara Advani and Akanksha Ranjan as two widely distinct girls from the same college, St. Martin’s. Advani’s character, Nanki Dutta, is the typical “rebel without a cause”, covered with tattoos and hair colours, fond of Faiz and Kafka, who is also the lyricist for the college band. She is dating the lead singer and college heartthrob, VJ (Gurfateh Singh Pirzada). Tanu Kumar (Ranjan) on the other hand is a small-town girl with a local accent. She is introduced in the movie as she recites a monologue from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, while presenting an errotic act in front of the boys from the band, with Nanki observing the same as an audience. The two characters are at odds with each other from the very beginning because of Tanu’s overt absorption in VJ. Tanu is also portrayed as someone who’d try to play the victim in all possible situations and in a sense, could be tagged an “attention seeker”.

The movie focuses on the rape accusation made by Tanu against VJ, a year after the incident, amidst the MeToo movement that had awoken in the country. The case is investigated by Danish (Taher Shabbir) who is a lawyer, preparing witnesses for VJ’s case. Danish acts as the neutral eye observing and questioning everything and everyone related to the case (though I wonder why the writers chose to assign this role to a lawyer fighting for one party, instead of a police officer, perhaps?). Danish seems to be constantly at war with his thoughts, trying to understand this game of he-said-she-said. He finds a crucial piece of this puzzle in Nanki, the witness who wasn’t even present. His conversations with her unfurl the story further, bringing forth hidden facts and secrets within the gang.

Guilty makes us constantly question our mental conditioning, proving the existence of prejudices ingrained in our brains. It addresses common questions like, “why would I rape someone if I have a girlfriend”, “why was she quiet for a year”, “she was asking for it” and more making it nearly impossible to empathise with Tanu. However, what disappoints me in this movie is the fact that, as an audience, I couldn’t really empathise with any of the characters. The movie unfolds so many complications that, somewhere down the line, the writer seems to relegate the significance of the primary agenda, weakening the moral impact by the end.

This brings me to the even more disappointing ending scene, which is both highly unrealistic and annoyingly cringe-worthy. The movie had followed a fairly genuine representation of the life of a student at the Delhi University with the intoxicating culture at college fests, internal competitiveness, the “woke” gang and particularly, “tere bhai ke sath scene ho gaya hai” (our friend is in trouble). As a DU student myself, I certainly enjoyed the first half of the movie as I could relate to most of it. However, by the end of it, reality comes to a halt and moral lectures are shoved down the audience’s throat in the most obvious way possible. It seemed like lazy writing, with the writers creating an easy way out.

The end credits, on the other hand, was a creative artistic expression and moral summary of the film, backed by the song “Kahun” written and composed by the song director of the film, Ankur Tewari. The song is a beautiful call out towards all those who silence the voices of the victims and encourages the latter to speak up. Personally, the outro was my favourite part of the whole film, without which the movie appears incomplete.

Guilty, for me, seemed like a movie with a good concept, decent execution but disappointing impact. In today’s date, where we’re aware that the rate of crime against women hasn’t gone down over the years, it is essential for mass media platforms to be intricately careful with what they present on screens to their massive audience, and ensure they do not impart the wrong message. Guilty, with its screening platform being Netflix, and its audience being our generation, had the perfect opportunity to do greater justice to the MeToo movement, which in my opinion, it failed to do.

Feature Image Credits: IMDB

Aditi Gutgutia

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Locke and Keys: Key to Thriller Mystery

By DU Beat March 7, 2020

Locke and keys, the latest web series is another addition to the thriller and mystery category by Netflix. The American supernatural horror drama is based on the comic book series Locke and Keys written by Gabriel Rodriguez and Joe Hill.

Spoiler Alert!

The story revolves around a mysterious and spooky house, the key house which is filled with magical keys and their key holes. The series begins with a misshaping when a person after receiving a phone call of a women commits suicide by stabbing himself, not with a dagger but with a magical key, which burns the interior of his body. The entire mystery behind the dreaded incident is disclosed gradually with the progression of the plot.

The intriguing beginning proves successful in filling the audience with curiosity and makes it unable for them to leave their watching seats. Two teenagers, Kinsy and Tyler along with their six year old brother, Bodey come out as the three central characters in the show. The intellect and the extraordinary problem solving efficiency of the six year old boy is questionable with respect to his age. In an age where an ordinary kid is unaware of the realities of the world, Bodey comes out as a co-life saviour of his family.

The story is a perfect plot for the people taking pleasure in watching magical, fantasy and supernatural related stuff. The three central characters along with their mother, Nina move to the key house after Nina’s husband (Rendel) gets murdered in their previous home. The ten episode long series in its every episode, like every other suspense filled Netflix series discloses one mystery while creating another for the next episode.

One thing which remains consistent in almost every episode is the discovery of a new key. Starting from the miraculous ‘anywhere key’ which if put in a door and opened leads you to the place you thought about in your head, to the ‘identity key’, revealed in the last episode which changes the identity of a person, irrespective of their gender.

Overall the first season of this new venture by Netflix is a good combination of mystery and thrill, which sees success in even touching the emotional corners of the heart. The family bonding and mutual support for each other in the times of distress, along with Bodey’s childish innocence moves the audience and leaves them with a deep excitement for the next season.

Feature Image credits: IMDb

Kriti Gupta

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The (Un) Productive Cycle

By Shivani Dadhwal February 20, 2020

Being productive is too much work and we, as students, are too much lazy. Read further to relieve yourself of this pressure of working too hard.

On the morning of National Productivity Day, I overslept and missed my first lecture. I reached the next lecture 20 minutes late and instead of writing my article, I went to Taco Bell with my friends. I also had the first day of my internship where I spent about 2 hours doing pretty much nothing. I finally came home, watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before part two and cringed over it for an hour. I ate dinner, finally decided to write my article the next day and swiped left on Tinder for another half hour. Welcome to a day into the unproductive life of a college student.

As students, we can spend days, weeks, months or even years doing absolutely nothing and yet feel immensely tired and exhausted all. the. time. I personally like to think of it as some kind of a talent we all possess. T’is ain’t an easy life, my friends. However, what bothers me is this intuitive need one has to be productive. An unproductive day is considered a lazy day. But again, is there something really wrong with it?

We’re all too hard on ourselves. We push our own limits, setting goals far beyond our standards. The inability to meet these unrealistic expectations brings down our morale, further degrading our work quality and eventually placing us in the inevitable, vicious cycle of unproductivity. Seriously, chill out, these unnecessary pressures, the romanticisation of being exhausted or busy, the capitalistic notions of achievements need to be challenged. Pushing yourself is great, but being cruel to yourself is not the best way to achieve your goals.

In this ends versus means debate, choose the right path for yourself. Take a day off and sleep for 16 hours. Watch the worst guilty pleasures on Netflix. Make plans and cancel them all. You deserve a break from stressing out about being productive by being absolutely unproductive. You can also be kind to yourself and be a part of the ‘race’, or maybe even sit out of the race.

I would ask you to chill this National Productivity Day but I missed the deadline because I was busy being unproductive. Anyway, it’s all getting too productive for me, so I guess I’ll end here.

Feature Image Credits: Darius Foroux

Aditi Gutgutia

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Ghost Stories: New Year, (somewhat) New Scares

By Shaurya Thapa January 1, 2020

Is Ghost Stories a spooky offering or a movie that you are well off ‘ghosting’?

What struck me watching Lust Stories way back when it released, was how all the four anthology films in it, somehow felt connected thematically despite being directed by individuals who are polar opposites of each other.

And this is what’s different in Netflix’s latest Indian offering, Ghost Stories. Directed by the same batch of the aforementioned anthology, this web movie also offers four different stories by Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, Karon Johar, and Dibakar Banerjee.

Apart from the common theme of a supernatural phenomenon, all the stories are really disparate in terms of story and visual elements. And for this reason, the arrangement of the short films seems a bit haphazard. This criticism seems a bit too far-fetched but then, most of these shorts didn’t manage that much of a lasting mark, ending up as just decent attempts at Indian horror.

An exception can be Dibakar Banerjee’s segment which can arguably be the best part of Ghost Stories. The segment hardly has any night shots but the visual imagery of a destroyed village (inhabited by zombie-like hybrid creatures) under a dim sky is enough to amaze the viewer. The basic storyline of Banerjee’s film is that people of the ‘Bigtown’ had come to this ‘Smalltown’ and started eating the locals. This for some reason, starts a wave of a new race of human meat-eaters. The makeup work on these beasts is top-notch, and the entire rural setting made me crave more horrors. If this short is later turned in a full-length feature film, I would totally be up for it!

But, if we solely assess the other films in terms of visual elements, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap have also done a good job in creating a spooky atmosphere. But then cause of some unnecessary scenes being dragged out, their efforts seem to look a bit pretentious as if the director is forcing you to feel scared (especially in Kashyap’s segment). Regardless, in Kashyap’s film, Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven, Raman Raghav 2.0) pulls off a convincing performance of a pregnant woman, obsessed with dolls whom she treats as her kids (although it’s only one angle of the story).

So basically, Akhtar and Kashyap’s work on Ghost Stories might be slightly flawed or underwhelming for some, but still, it makes for a good one time watch. But then, for a bizarre and tasteless finale to the anthology, we get Karan Johar…

Now, I’ll admit Karan Johar might hardly be considered as an ‘artsy’ director for many including me, but I thoroughly enjoyed his short in Lust Stories (it was my personal favourite in it). I liked seeing Karan Johar writing and directing a story where there was no need for PG-13 family melodrama and he could get truly get raunchy, sexual, and heart-warming at the same time.

And in Ghost Stories, he tried crafting a half-baked story making it unnecessarily raunchy in scenes; so much so that it felt like a Lust Stories spin-off. The protagonist’s husband goofily (unintentionally goofy acting maybe) talks to his ‘dead’ grandmother (possibly her spirit) every day and that concerns her obviously. Her best friend tells her to give him a blowjob and sort the matter out. And also there are some weird noises which she hears in the house, to which the best friend says ‘That’s the only blowjob that has been happening’.

Puns so bad that they’re good, but they seem so unnecessary. And the edits are so sudden that you are feeling a bit weird anticipating what will happen in the segment, but then you’re suddenly transported to the next scene with a stylish shot of a wedding probably shot at Sanjay Leela Bhansali setpiece. No offence to the production design team behind this wedding and the huge mansion where ‘Granny’ lives, but the setting seems so caricaturish that it might suit a Manyavar ad more than a film.

Whether it’s the orangish ‘candle flame-like’ tone of Zoya’s segment to the dark colourless tone in Anurag Kashyap’s, the colour palettes are different but all spooky. Karan Johar’s film on the other hand, has a cliched look which one might have seen in other Indian horror films. The main reason why I couldn’t appreciate this particular segment that much was because I couldn’t adjust with its tone, compared to the other parts.

Overall, Ghost Stories is a unique presentation by Netflix which shows that Indian filmmakers are indeed trying to up their game in genres where Indian cinema has been mocked usually. Even if it’s imperfect, it does give the average Bollywood viewer hope for better scares in future Indian cinema. Finally, watch the Zoya and Kashyap’s segments for the thrills, bite your nails with Dibakar Banerjee, and you can totally skip Karan Johar if you want too.

Featured Image Credits- Netflix

Shaurya Singh Thapa

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Problematic Characters We Have All Loved

By Amrashree Mishra December 2, 2019

When the story unravels, a new episode comes out, your favourite actor plays the character, often the best of us make the wrong judgement and internalise these problematic characters from our favourite movies and TV Series. Here is a piece deconstructing and splitting the problematic image of the character away from the actor.

A tragic past, a bright mind or a great sense of humour are a few of the many things that blind us when it comes to characters from one’s favourite TV shows, series or novels. They are highly relevant to the story; their charming grin or the caring attitude almost makes one forget their problematic behaviour. The constant reaffirmations that they receive from the other characters of the show help hide their sexist, condescending or manipulative behaviour. It then becomes extremely important to question one’s love for the character and see them with a fresh and woke perspective. Here is a list of how the behaviours of some of the most popular characters are the most problematic ones.

Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother

Barney Stinson is probably one of the most loved characters of the series. He’s charming and quirky. His bro-code and tricks almost make him too likeable. However, it must not be forgotten that he was a sex-obsessed womaniser who treated women like objects, who tricked and mislead them into sleeping with him. Even when he and Robin (another character from the show and his wife later on) were together he lied to her under the guise of good intentions and romantic gestures. It’s amazing he didn’t have multiple rape charges against him.

Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

The leading character of Sex and the City was a selfish, manipulative and condescending friend. However, her writing the edgy fashion column makes us love her so much. The entire series revolve around four independent women in New York City and their strong friendship, however when her friends tell her about intimate and celebratory events in their life like pregnancy, miscarriage or cancer, she somehow made the situation about herself. Let’s not even get started on how badly she treated Aidan when he forgave her again and again.

Chuck Bass, Gossip Girl

The tragic past of Chuck Bass and the pseudo-character development shown by the writers perfectly hide the fact, that Chuck Bass was a rapist. The worst part is that he’s marketed to young girls as a “hot bad-boy type” and we all bought into it.

In the episode premier, he first tries to force himself on his drunk friend, Serena and then on a 14-year old freshman, Jenny. He even calls Serena a “slut” for stopping him to molest Jenny.

Chuck Bass is womaniser, who treats women like trophies and all that matters to him is the chase. He takes Blair’s virginity in the back of a limo mere hours after she breaks up with his best friend. However, he’s always saved by how Blair appreciates him and eggs him on.

Are we supposed to believe that Chuck was just going around assaulting women because he hadn’t yet found the right one? That he just needed someone who could challenge him, and he would see the error of his ways?

Ezra Fitz, Pretty Little Liars

When you think about it, it’s gross how he’s celebrated as a great writer and literature professor and so justified for having an affair with his student, a minor.

His vocabulary and grammar syntax act as a perfect medium to hide how he acts all innocent dating a teenage girl. He never once shows remorse for his actions and expects to be appreciated for his epic love story and blames everyone else who finds a problem with his affair.

Edward Cullen, Twilight

The dream man of all teenage girl is well very problematic. The guy wanted to possess his girlfriend and control every aspect of her life. Few of the things you might’ve ignored were, the idea that Edward was initially attracted to Bella because he wanted to bite her, his teenage mood swings and how scares Bella to woo her. Not romantic, but creepy how he watches Bella while sleeping when he barely knew her. He follows her everywhere around and underestimates her in every situation. One must realise that love is not supposed to be a prison with your partner as the guard, isolating you from everyone else in the world.

Patty Bladell, Insatiable

All the characters are problematic as hell, but she is on another level. She tried to break up the marriage of her coach who was 20 years older to her and was the father of her crush. She kidnapped a girl, exposed a gay relationship, killed a guy, and when she had a teratoma she thought she’d eaten her twin. She was not some girl we pity for being bullied — she literally destroyed the lives of everyone around her.

Ross Geller, Friends

Ross Geller coming from the beloved show Friends often is saved because of the love he receives on screen from all the other cast members. If seen in a different way perspective, here are few things he has done. He lied to Rachel about getting their marriage annulled, for his own satisfaction. He tried to kiss his own cousin, and said, “she wants the same things you do” just because she requested to open a bottle of wine. Not only this, he’s extremely dismissive of Rachel’s career and in the last few episodes even convinced her to give up on a great opportunity. It’s ironical how his pervert nature of making his and Rachel’s sex tape without her consent, is applauded by his friends to act as an evidence. He doesn’t value consent, and feels that Rachel being naked is an invitation to him for sex. He’s a jerk who made us internalise “she was asking for it”.

With this article, there’s a hope we become more receptive to the kind of content we receive and consume. Let’s call out what’s wrong and problematic. We’ve had enough jokes on the identities of people.

It’s time to make everyone aware.

Stay woke, friends!

Feature Image Credits: What Would Bale Do

Chhavi Bahmba

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Netflix, Hotstar, and Amazon Prime – Subscription Fees and Heavy Carbon Dimes

By DU Beat November 6, 2019

When was the last time when we managed an escapade from the fascinating content provided by the creative OTT platforms that literally has its subscribers glued to the screens? Perhaps it would be a matter of prior engagements, over the last four years the over-the-top media service has seen a significant consumption, especially with respect to the Indian market which as of now values around INR 3,500 crores and is estimated to rise by many folds to dethrone the television industry and environment altogether. An endless supply of level original content in high definition quality is easily available with an affordable subscription fee, that seems really economical from our recreational budget matrix but the cost that the environment suffers seems extremely exorbitant.

Although streaming platforms like Netflix are extremely cautious with the provision of spectator data, their ‘Prime’ presence everywhere is as shining as a ‘hot-Star’ and hence cannot be ignored like a bad ‘Spotify’ playlist. Millions of people on a daily basis consume a large amount of data on these on-demand content platforms which is binge-watched for hours, inducing a large amount of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere we actually need. According to the Shift Project, a French think-tank that claims to advance the shift to a post-carbon economy, ‘Watching a half-hour show would lead to emissions of around 1.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide, that’s equivalent to driving a car for 6.28 kilometres.’

‘Digital videos come in very large file sizes and (are) getting bigger with each new generation of higher-definition video,’ said Gary Cook from Greenpeace, which is administered to look on the IT sector’s energy footprint.

Cook further adds, ‘More data equals more energy needed to maintain a system that is ready to stream this video to your device at a moment’s notice.’

Much of the energy needed for streaming services is consumed by the data centres, which further provides data to our computers and handsets. Reportedly, the centres contribute about 0.3 per cent of all carbon emissions and the ever-increasing steadfast demand for better technologies has stressed our energy sources substantially.

As matters of fact, screens with 4K resolution use about 30 per cent more energy than high-definition screens; upgraded devices and technologies require more amounts of energy to store, process, and share data and further corresponds for increased production and consumption wastes at every level of test and research development praxis.

On the contrary, we are ought to agree that these platforms are extremely entertaining and provide a good dose of change from our monotonous lives but the stringent fact remains that in such hard times where our cities like Kanpur, Gurugram, and Delhi as heavy ‘cyber-hubs’, they also hold the title for the most polluted cities on the planet. The carbon emissions caused by the digital media markers which are expected to rise and expand significantly needs alternative renewable energy sources and judicious sustainable management.

But it won’t be enough for us to rue the online platforms and their capitalist endeavors hindering the environment without realising these suggestions that are put forth by Professor Chris Priest and Dr Dan Schien of the University of Bristol who advocate terrestrial Broadcast TV to be lot more efficient than network streaming, whereas mobile phones continue to be more energy-efficient than a TV or a PC. Professor Priest even underlines the fact that a Wi-Fi connection can be more efficient than a 3G or 4G connection; downloading videos rather than viewing it online could pose as a much better alternative in terms of energy preservation.

Significant steps, conventions and debate continue to stall at the global level with increased stress and collective responsibility being observed worldwide it would continue to be an incomplete effort if small things like these go unnoticed and are not corrected or duly accounted for.

Feature Image Credits: Lighthouse insight

Faizan Salik

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Ghoul and Typewriter: Revolutionising the Indian Horror Scenario through Netflix

By DU Beat August 18, 2019

Since the inception of over-the-top (OTT) media services, the Indian audience is spoilt for choices under all regards. With the growth of Netflix and its revolutionary content, the Indian entertainment landscape is undergoing a significant positive change.

Netflix India released its first originals Lust Stories and Sacred Games in 2018, establishing its venture into the Indian online space. This carved a new niche and standard for the Indian viewership; from exploring female sexuality to the Bombay underworld, the viewers were left with no complaints! The rapid growth of OTT media has led to a significant decrease in television viewership, which has time and again succumbed to the age-old formula of saas-bahu and reaffirming gender roles. With not much variety to cater to the interested viewer’s space, other than clichécliche romance or hyper-realistic action films, both on Hindi cinema and television, the emergence of Netflix felt like a breath of fresh air.

In search of better content and quality cinema, especially in genres like thriller, crime, and horror, the Indian viewership shifted from Bollywood to Hollywood. An audience which has grown up with Ram Gopal Verma and the much silenced, yet talked about, ‘sex-horror’, found refuge in the Conjuring Universe. With Netflix producing back-to-back quality content, the announcement of Ghoul with an astounding star-cast of Radhika Apte and Manav Kaul, put aside all the previous hatred towards Hindi media.

Lying under the grounds of a dystopian world with classification on the basis of religion and dealing with sacrilegious texts, Patrick Graham’s Ghoul keeps you on the edge, constantly. Vinitha Singh, a first-year Journalism student at Kamala Nehru College, says, “I have watched Ghoul and I liked the fact that it was so mysterious. At every episode you are scared, but then, you keep on binge-watching because you cannot be patient enough. With so many twists and turns, it makes it hard to predict. I kinda loved it!” Indian viewers love the idea of ‘experimentation’ and Ghoul fits into this sphere perfectly. Religious myths and age-old narratives in a dystopia makes one a little more than simply existential.

Following the huge success of Ghoul in 2018, Netflix released the much-awaited Typewriter by Sujoy Ghosh in 2019. Commonly referred to as India’s sasta (downgraded) Stranger Things, Typewriter is a roller-coaster ride with a bunch of 10-year-olds. The possession of an inanimate object leads to a series of drastic consequences due to a deep historical significance. Tightly packed with another set of the notable star-cast of Purab Kohli, Palomi Ghosh, and Jisshu Sengupta, Typewriter was welcomed by a lot of mixed reviews. Accusations of rushing into the climax by destroying the build-up is a common critique. Sarah Susan Varkey, a Political Science student at Jesus and Mary college states, “ I was very excited for the release of Typewriter after Ghoul and Stranger Things Season 3. But my happiness was short-lived as I didn’t really feel the horror other than a few jumpscares. I had high expectations, mostly due to the premise and the star-cast.”

With the massive success of both Ghoul and Typewriter, the Indian audience has increased its expectations, and would not bow down to nonsensica horror from Bollywood. Netflix India’s new horror original, Bulbul is all set to take wings within a few weeks; until then, happy binge-watching!

Feature Image Credits: Livemint

Anandi Sen

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Oh Boy! Do ‘Things’ get ‘Stranger’ in Season 3

By DU Beat July 12, 2019

Stranger Things streamed its Season 3 on Netflix last week. Here is my take on this weird and mysterious season that certainly lived up to its hype.

Familiar faces return to our laptop screens when yet again, the mind-flayer is down to do the dirty. Amidst great publicity, promotion and production, Stranger Things Season 3 dropped with an engaging plotline and larger than life monster crises. The success story of this show’s popularity comes from its advantage of being a certified binge-watch. With just eight episodes, almost all of us sit and finish them, watching one after the other, playing it out like an eight-hour long movie rather than eight separate episodes.

This time around, the monster is bigger and better; American capitalism is growing, the show engages national level security crises where the Soviet Union is involved, the kids are now teenagers with priority issues and the mind flayer has a personal grudge against Eleven. These plotlines lead to a few kids and adults actually saving their country from not only an otherworldly being but also a Soviet Union infiltration of America.

Despite how absurd it always sounds, the Duffer Brothers make you buy it. Even if their story and imagination go off rails, their always loved characters bring the story back to its place and keep the viewers engaged. The emotional entanglement between the characters always pulls at your heartstrings, makes you laugh at places, and cry at others.

Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven is as adorable as it can get, she is still learning and exploring, she is naive when it comes to human relations but fierce when fighting monsters and throwing cars with her mind. She gets a confidant in the sassy out-going Max which works superbly well. There is Mike and Lucas, who are entwined in girl problems, Will who is feeling left out and Dustin, who is mostly away with a new gang of hooligans. This party with our beloved Steve and new faces Robin and Erica is the most fun to watch.

On the other hand, Joyce and Hopper have switched places with Nancy and Jonathan from Season 2 by undertaking the bickering-old-couple persona in their separate journey. Just like the past two seasons, it all culminates with one last fight, where all of these separate bands come together.

Another commendable moment was Robin coming out. We get to know little about this new character, but she remains fresh and boldly away from stereotypical gay representation. Steve again steals our hearts with his platonic friendship goals. Another aspect that Duffer Brother’s might explore in the next season can be Will’s sexuality. I strongly feel that he might come out as an asexual but his unwillingness to enter into romantic angles can also just be another aspect of him clinging to his childhood.

The show ends at a definitive cliff hanger which is absolutely heartbreaking for all of us, but it also makes many of us excited and already come up with fan theories about what will happen in the next season. Looking forward to Season 4, till then, keep the door open 3 inches!

Image Credits: YouTube

Sakshi Arora

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A Beginners Guide to Indian Podcasts

By DU Beat March 30, 2019

New to Podcasts? This guide will help you with a list of four Indian podcasts that will open your eyes and of course your ears to this incredibly informative platform.

There’s a war going on and it’s being fought for your attention. Every day, new applications mushroom in dorm rooms across the world. Existing tech behemoths are spending millions to convince you to spend just a few more minutes on their product. Your attention has never been valued as highly as it is today and the corporations will do just about anything to grab a larger portion of the cake.

In a war like this, you are the sole protectors of your attention and your brain, in extension. There are myriad options and you can choose where to spend that attention. It’s safe to say that for a lot of us, books have gradually disappeared as contenders and the video format is emerging as a strong winner in this race. When we’re not watching Netflix, we’re watching Prime Video.

The podcast, while being a widely known format is surprisingly not widely used. It’s probably because we as a generation have been bombarded with so much visual content that it has become our standard for stimulus. Shifting to a new format of receiving information can require a little time and effort. But, the podcast universe has plenty to offer, it has something for everybody and it’ll be nice of you to give your eyes some rest during the long metro rides to college.

The Indian podcast scene is booming with new ideas and discussions and with some research you can find what suits you best. However, to get you started, here’s a list of four Indian podcasts that will open your eyes and of course your ears to this incredibly informative platform.

Ask Aakar Anyhing

Mr. Aakar Patel is a writer and a columnist who has an answer to every question. The weekly show witnesses Aakar answering questions that readers send from across the country. Their topics of concern cover everything from architecture to pornography. The show is out of the ordinary, it teaches you and makes you think. The answers are witty and insightful and without realizing it, twenty minutes later you’re an expert conversationalist on Japanese architecture.

Image credits: Ask Aakar Anything — Image Credits: Ask Aakar Anything

You can find it here- http://www.audiomatic.in/category/ask-aakar/. It is also available on iTunes.

The Intersection

Two young and extremely intelligent journalists take you through a journey about India, its rich history and cultural complexities. This podcast talks about seemingly random things with global implications. Unlike the two podcasts above which talks about multiple things in one episode, the intersection chooses to focus on one topic and both the hosts have substantial and well researched material to assist their arguments. The topics range from India’s homegrown dog breeds to fundamental errors in the Taj Mahal. Random? I warned you.

You can find it here- http://www.audiomatic.in/category/the-intersection/. Also available on- SoundCloud.

Our Last Week

Our last week is a weekly comedy podcast hosted by comedian Anuvab Pal and actor Kunaal Roy Kapur. In every episode, they discuss the week that went by in terms of the news and the events that occurred in their personal lives as well. They describe themselves as “just two guys trying to make sense of it all.”

You can find it here- http://www.audiomatic.in/category/our-last-week/. Also available on SoundCloud.

Cyrus Says

This show can be considered a veteran in the Indian Podcast scene; it has been on air for the past six years and is hosted by well-known comedian and political satirist, Cyrus Broacha. Every week the hosts invites other Indian personalities pursuing their hatke careers and another segment follows where a panel is formed to discuss news, politics, culture, and urban life in India.