So we in Chennai have almost completed our lockdown 5.0 and we have received news that it is going to be extended strictly until July 5 after which it will be a relaxed lockdown. Oh ho here we go. If the number of cases had come down courtesy this lockdown, at least we would feel a bit better, but that doesn't seem to be the case as of now. The numbers are as high as 3900+ cases in Tamil Nadu and above 2000+ in Chennai today.
People we know are talking about people they know who are getting affected by covid virus. It is a scary situation...yes; and the best possible step would seem to be to sit tight at home and wait for the worst to blow over. My biggest concern presently is the non-availability of beds and ventillators in hospitals and hence not a great time to fall sick with corona virus. God save us all from this pandemic.
Sitting tight at home might not be a viable option for many. Concerns over finances, work, regular chores etc could be eating us up. But this seems to be most prudent. So on a lighter note I have drawn a list of series on Disney+ Hotstar and Amazon which can keep your eyeballs glued to the TV. These series might even lure you from Netflix ;).
His Dark Materials (2019) - Amazon Prime - British TV series - We couldn't stop watching this very engaging, adventurous, science fantasy series that has been adapted from the book of the same name by Phillip Pullman. It is built on the lines of Harry Potter series, where the burden of solving a mystery involving a material called 'Dust' falls on Lyra a young girl played delightfully by Dafne Keen. In the world that Lyra lives in, humans souls are stored outside the body as creatures called daemons. After a certain age the daemon takes on its true form as per the person it represents. So different people have different daemons. 'Dust' is a phenomenon her 'uncle' has discovered and as he plunges into one journey after another to trace the dust, Lyra finds herself trying to solve the mystery of missing children. The story is taut and the characters are all well played. It is a definite must watch. I have not read the books but if the TV series is any indication then after the lockdown I need to get my hands on the books and give it a go.
The Mandalorian (2019) - Disney+ Hotstar - American TV series. This takes off from the Star Wars story line and will resonate with even the not so hardcore followers of Starwars. The series has all the charm and intrigue of intergalactic life forms and the action and drama that is synonymous with Star Wars franchise. I loved the actor who plays the Mandalorian and would love to tell you who it is...it is after all a google click away. But I will not. Cause I watched 4 episodes without knowing the identity of the actor playing the part of this nice voiced, feminine-ish walking killing machine. Then I succumbed to temptation. Psst...he was good in Netflix's Narcos too. (wink, wink). Mandalorian is an intergalactic bounty hunter and the series comes to life when he comes in touch with an important package. (any Star Wars fan would know where that package would lead).
Band of Brothers (2001) - Disney+ Hot star - American TV series. I know this is an ancient release but I had not heard of it at all. The series however has a timelessness to it as all war movies do...perhaps due to the repercussions or the stories that last. Band of Brothers is for people who love war stories. Since I have not particularly read much about the World Wars in school or college, I like to devour any literature I find about the famous wars. This one was released as an HBO mini series and is produced by big names like Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg. Were it not for the theme, the names alone would have made me want to see this memorable series. Initially I found it a bit slow and difficult to grasp...thanks to the American slang and the military jargon, but the characters started to grow on me especially the very talented Damien Lewis (who I love so much) as Capt. Winters and a few others. The series is about an elite group of American paratroopers, the 'Easy company' who get deployed around Europe until Japan's capitulation and the end of the World War II. Americans truly make very good war movies and this one is no less. The series has won the Emmys and Golden Globe for best miniseries in 2001.
The Outsider (2020) - Disney+ Hotstar - American Horror series. The Outsider is an adaptation of Stephen King's book by the same name. I suddenly realized that all of the above series in my list are adaptations of books (;-D). Stephen King's name is associated with the best of horror and since I am not a big fan of that genre I have not read many of the great man's books. I have simply not understood the essence of some of his stories...it's gone right above my head on more than one occasion. I had to face it...I don't understand Stephen King's novels. I had expected the same when I sat down to watch this show even though a friend had greatly recommended it. I am glad I took his recommendation. It was an engrossing murder mystery that leads to unraveling of paranormal activity in a sleepy town in Georgia. The lighting and narrative is brooding and dark but it is interesting. The acting is solid and the mystery and ominous undertones really keep you hooked.
Special Ops (2019) - Disney+ Hotstar - Indian espionage thriller. Compared to The Family Man (Amazon Prime), Special Ops does fall a wee bit lower, but if you over look the stylized portrayal and the overt layering of characters and their introductions and dramatization of events, it does keep you hooked to the very end of the season. I am so happy that people like Neeraj Pandey, Shivam Nair (Special Ops) and Raj and DK (The Family Man) have made our RAW agent's exploits as thrilling as an American's. I can put the research and the effort by our directors at par with some of the best American espionage series. The whole series is a cat and mouse game at finding the one man who was responsible for orchestrating the entire operation of the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001. The chase continues in a controlled and planned manner 10 years after the attack. The life of a RAW agent perhaps might not be all style and jazz as is seen in the very first episode where Kay Kay Menon as Himmat Singh is summoned for a financial audit. He is impeccably attired and is calm and collected and humours the babus who have come to question him. Stellar performances by Kay Kay Menon and Vinay Pathak, kept us wanting to watch the show continuously, if only we were that kind of people or had that kind of time :). This series truly made the lockdown go forward a bit faster. A must watch if stories of obscure, unmentioned RAW agents are your thing.
I simply loved The Family Man but haven't written about it here as I had watched it before the lockdown and it deserves another blog post with Aarya. Do let me know what series you have been watching and if the above ones featured in your list.
People we know are talking about people they know who are getting affected by covid virus. It is a scary situation...yes; and the best possible step would seem to be to sit tight at home and wait for the worst to blow over. My biggest concern presently is the non-availability of beds and ventillators in hospitals and hence not a great time to fall sick with corona virus. God save us all from this pandemic.
Sitting tight at home might not be a viable option for many. Concerns over finances, work, regular chores etc could be eating us up. But this seems to be most prudent. So on a lighter note I have drawn a list of series on Disney+ Hotstar and Amazon which can keep your eyeballs glued to the TV. These series might even lure you from Netflix ;).
His Dark Materials (2019) - Amazon Prime - British TV series - We couldn't stop watching this very engaging, adventurous, science fantasy series that has been adapted from the book of the same name by Phillip Pullman. It is built on the lines of Harry Potter series, where the burden of solving a mystery involving a material called 'Dust' falls on Lyra a young girl played delightfully by Dafne Keen. In the world that Lyra lives in, humans souls are stored outside the body as creatures called daemons. After a certain age the daemon takes on its true form as per the person it represents. So different people have different daemons. 'Dust' is a phenomenon her 'uncle' has discovered and as he plunges into one journey after another to trace the dust, Lyra finds herself trying to solve the mystery of missing children. The story is taut and the characters are all well played. It is a definite must watch. I have not read the books but if the TV series is any indication then after the lockdown I need to get my hands on the books and give it a go.
The Mandalorian (2019) - Disney+ Hotstar - American TV series. This takes off from the Star Wars story line and will resonate with even the not so hardcore followers of Starwars. The series has all the charm and intrigue of intergalactic life forms and the action and drama that is synonymous with Star Wars franchise. I loved the actor who plays the Mandalorian and would love to tell you who it is...it is after all a google click away. But I will not. Cause I watched 4 episodes without knowing the identity of the actor playing the part of this nice voiced, feminine-ish walking killing machine. Then I succumbed to temptation. Psst...he was good in Netflix's Narcos too. (wink, wink). Mandalorian is an intergalactic bounty hunter and the series comes to life when he comes in touch with an important package. (any Star Wars fan would know where that package would lead).
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| Band of Brothers - "Easy" Company |
Band of Brothers (2001) - Disney+ Hot star - American TV series. I know this is an ancient release but I had not heard of it at all. The series however has a timelessness to it as all war movies do...perhaps due to the repercussions or the stories that last. Band of Brothers is for people who love war stories. Since I have not particularly read much about the World Wars in school or college, I like to devour any literature I find about the famous wars. This one was released as an HBO mini series and is produced by big names like Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg. Were it not for the theme, the names alone would have made me want to see this memorable series. Initially I found it a bit slow and difficult to grasp...thanks to the American slang and the military jargon, but the characters started to grow on me especially the very talented Damien Lewis (who I love so much) as Capt. Winters and a few others. The series is about an elite group of American paratroopers, the 'Easy company' who get deployed around Europe until Japan's capitulation and the end of the World War II. Americans truly make very good war movies and this one is no less. The series has won the Emmys and Golden Globe for best miniseries in 2001.
The Outsider (2020) - Disney+ Hotstar - American Horror series. The Outsider is an adaptation of Stephen King's book by the same name. I suddenly realized that all of the above series in my list are adaptations of books (;-D). Stephen King's name is associated with the best of horror and since I am not a big fan of that genre I have not read many of the great man's books. I have simply not understood the essence of some of his stories...it's gone right above my head on more than one occasion. I had to face it...I don't understand Stephen King's novels. I had expected the same when I sat down to watch this show even though a friend had greatly recommended it. I am glad I took his recommendation. It was an engrossing murder mystery that leads to unraveling of paranormal activity in a sleepy town in Georgia. The lighting and narrative is brooding and dark but it is interesting. The acting is solid and the mystery and ominous undertones really keep you hooked.
Special Ops (2019) - Disney+ Hotstar - Indian espionage thriller. Compared to The Family Man (Amazon Prime), Special Ops does fall a wee bit lower, but if you over look the stylized portrayal and the overt layering of characters and their introductions and dramatization of events, it does keep you hooked to the very end of the season. I am so happy that people like Neeraj Pandey, Shivam Nair (Special Ops) and Raj and DK (The Family Man) have made our RAW agent's exploits as thrilling as an American's. I can put the research and the effort by our directors at par with some of the best American espionage series. The whole series is a cat and mouse game at finding the one man who was responsible for orchestrating the entire operation of the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001. The chase continues in a controlled and planned manner 10 years after the attack. The life of a RAW agent perhaps might not be all style and jazz as is seen in the very first episode where Kay Kay Menon as Himmat Singh is summoned for a financial audit. He is impeccably attired and is calm and collected and humours the babus who have come to question him. Stellar performances by Kay Kay Menon and Vinay Pathak, kept us wanting to watch the show continuously, if only we were that kind of people or had that kind of time :). This series truly made the lockdown go forward a bit faster. A must watch if stories of obscure, unmentioned RAW agents are your thing.
I simply loved The Family Man but haven't written about it here as I had watched it before the lockdown and it deserves another blog post with Aarya. Do let me know what series you have been watching and if the above ones featured in your list.
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