Bad Newz

Both Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri have been recognized for their superior acting abilities and characters portrayed by them. This one comes as a total surprise – it is a light hearted commercial film you can watch if you are a fan of the lead actors; or if you want to binge on some casual entertainment. A chef (Triptii as Saloni Bagga) aspiring to win a prestigious competition finds herself on a topsy turvy – roller coaster ride when she gets married to a charismatic chap named Akhil Chaddha (Vicky Kaushal) and also divorced too quickly. She meets Gurbir (Ammy Virk). Life takes her to the hills where she finds herself pregnant, but in a miraculous situation.

The story gently stresses the importance of relationships, and that one should not give up easily, without trying to assess difficult situations from points of view of others. Vicky also comes out of his nomophobia, and lets his love take correct decisions. Acting wise everyone seems to have done a decent job. Neha Dhupia does a small cameo as Tripti’s aunt, while Sheeba Chaddha has played the role of a doting mother who thinks her son is the best among all.

The only thing to look out for is Vicky Kaushal’s dancing – his moves from the song at the very end has become very popular recently.

Image courtesy: Google

Call me Bae

Having spotted lot of promotion online, I downloaded this webseries with lot of anticipation. It did not seem like a good decision for the first two episodes, which are consumed in story building and character introduction. However, third episode onwards, you would start loving Bae, aka Bella Chowdhury who is forced to live a middle class life after a series of unfortunate events. Bae gets hired as an intern in a news channel and soon discovers her true calling. She receives an anonymous video, and she gets on uncovering the truth. Bae and her friends bring out the true colours of a powerful person, who is not only the CEO of an organization but also a soon-to-be politician. Alongwith, the real character of anchor of a popular show is also revealed.

The series is a one-time watch with its own share of comedy, romance and mystery. Ananya Panday, daughter of veteran actor Chunkey Panday, has carved out her own niche and carries the role of Bae well. Vir Das as Satyajit Sen is also a treat to watch – he has come a long way from a comedian to an actor, I must say. The others have tried to do justice to their characters. The story gently touches on topics such as true friendship, standing up for what is right, fact based journalism and relationships. There is room for improvement, but you should watch it for some binge watching.

 Image courtesy: Google

Choona

A very well made webseries based around a money heist, crime, politics and comedy. A corrupt and powerful politician, Avinash Shukla (Jimmy Shergill) wishes to construct a mall on an existing settlement. His ultimate aim is to overthrow the existing government with the help of money from the beneficiary builder. A team of young fellows, one of them a policeman, decide to rob him. Needless to say, the task is easier said than done – the party office is no less than a fortress with lot of security measures in place, be it CCTV cameras, security personnel and even laser beams.

What follows is a tale of meticulous planning, delicate balance between betrayal and loyalty, as sides flip unexpectedly. Shukla proves to be a formidable enemy, shrewd and well versed in astrology. Things go in the favour of the scheming team when Shukla’s brother in law joins them. The techniques used are also in sync with modern times, where characters do video calls, create simulations of their plan and more. Keeping pace with technologies, age old science of astrology asserts its importance.

Most of the faces are new - but they have done a commendable job; while Jimmy Shergill plays the pivotal role, once again proving that his talent has been underutilized in Bollywood movies. Shukla accepts defeat gracefully, leaving the audience yearning for a new season. 

Image courtesy: Google