Nonika Singh

Think music composers of yesteryear and chances are that the name Roshan wouldn’t figure on the top of your mind. For the present generation and even a generation before that, the surname Roshan is but obviously a byword for superstar Hrithik Roshan and, at best, his father-filmmaker Rakesh Roshan. But, as the Netflix documentary ‘The Roshans’ delves into the lives of four men of the Roshan family, all of them of exceptional talent, you learn more than a thing or two about who the original Roshan was. The first episode dedicated to the family patriarch, the late Roshan Lal Nagrath, is a revelation. Not because it unfurls any hidden family secrets, but reminds you how those lilting melodies — ‘Mann re tu kahe na dheer dhare’, ‘Rahein na rahein hum, mehka karenge’, ‘Yeh ishq ishq hai’, ‘Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat’ — you have often hummed came from his musical prowess. There are so many OMG moments. ‘Nigahein milane ko jee chahta hai’, ‘Dil jo na keh saka’… — he composed these, too! The list is endless. As we get over the overwhelming feeling of admiration, also stemming out of our ignorance of not knowing enough about his music, the very first episode turns out to be extremely satisfying.

A film releasing close to Republic Day and starring the new-age Bharat Kumar, the poster boy of patriotism Akshay Kumar, and you enter the cinema halls with a bit of dread. But you are pleasantly surprised both by the storyline and the fact that though the film harks back to the 1965 Indo-Pak war, there is no overt Pakistan-bashing or screechy jingoism. ‘Sky Force’, based on true events — actually the Indian Air Force’s retaliatory attack on Pakistan’s Sargodha airfield — tells the story simply, without too many theatrical excesses. Prior to the release, it has been drawing comparisons with last year’s Republic Day release, ‘Fighter’. However, except for some finely executed aerial action set pieces and dogfights, there isn’t much to compare, both in good and bad ways.

If ‘Paatal Lok’ has been one of your favourite series and you have been all agog waiting for its second season, which has dropped after a long wait of five years, first and foremost, drop the comparison meter. For, the new season is a beast of its own kind, stands firm on its feet and lands with impact and force. Indeed, both Jaideep Ahlawat and Ishwak Singh reprise their parts of Hathi Ram Chaudhary and Imran Ansari. As do a few other actors. It’s still the same murky world of crime and police. Only, showrunner and writer Sudip Sharma charts the not oft-explored territory and takes us to Nagaland without fetishising the beauty of the state. Or its people, who like any other in the country run the gamut of good, bad and ugly and have their own set of compulsions: ‘you kill only when you have no other choice’. And, once again, the heady cocktail of crime, politics, wry humour, action and drama makes for compelling viewing.

Jails are a world of their own making and ‘a law unto themselves’. Time and again, we have been reminded that prisons not only house hardened criminals, but are hubs of crime too. We have often seen the murky life inside prisons through the eyes of the prisoners. But a jailer’s unflinching point of view, listing systemic lapses, is not an everyday insight. Trust filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane to not only tread a new path each time, but also come out trumps. After wowing us with his period series ‘Jubilee’, now in association with Applause Entertainment and co-creator Satyanshu Singh, he turns his attention to Tihar jail. It’s certainly not a happy place, neither for the inmates, nor for those who try to run it. Since the source material is the book ‘Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer’, written by Sunetra Choudhury and the former superintendent of Tihar Jail Sunil Gupta, for most parts the intense narrative rings true.

Her father died nearly 11 years ago. About the same time, her fiance disappeared from her life and it seems from the face of the earth. And she is no ordinary woman but the dogged Detective Inspector Kat Donovan. Could the plot get thicker? Yes it does, often too thick. Indeed, the story unfolds with much intrigue if not cutting-edge tension. Kat, played by Rosalind Eleazar, is in charge of tracing missing persons. Why she has not cared to find out where her boyfriend vanished is as baffling as his sudden popping up on a dating site. Instead, she seeks the help of her friend, private investigator Stacey Embalo (Jessica Plummer), to track him down, actually do half her jobs, including finding her way into a prison hospital. Stacey’s job otherwise is to nail cheating husbands and wives. Amidst fishing in the woes of failing marriages, she plays agony aunt to Kat and directs her to a dating app.

‘Baby John’ has all the trappings of a mass entertainer, having been produced by Atlee, the record-maker ‘Jawan’ director whose remake of Tamil film ‘Their’ it is. Headlined by a fairly bankable star, Varun Dhawan, who can certainly act, he does try to energise the proceedings. South Indian sensation Keerthy Suresh is making her Bollywood debut and yesterday’s ‘Hero’ Jackie Shroff plays the vilest of vile badman. On the side is the beautiful and talented Wamiqa Gabbi.

At best, documentaries on celebrities tend to be an ode to their stardom; at worst, these end up as an exercise in image makeover for those who have fallen from grace. Rare is a documentary, especially of a living person, that dares to look truth in the eye and provides a balanced, insightful account. Is Sikhya entertainment’s Netflix film that endeavour? Maybe yes, maybe no, but while documenting the story of Punjabi singer Yo Yo Honey Singh, who has seen both dizzying heights of fame and the lows of infamy, director Mozez Singh does address the elephant in Honey’s life from the word go.

When ‘Bandish Bandits’ streamed on Prime Video in 2020, it was a breath of fresh air wrapped in melody and a master class in classical music. As it enters the second season, there is good news and a bit of bad news. First the downside: what it did not succumb to in the first season, it has done so in the second outing and turned into an ‘Indian Idol’ of sorts. Here, the major part of the series is devoted to the India Band Championship. Of course, on the sunny side, it is still an ode to music, now of various hues, and the master class continues. You will still learn more than a thing or two about ragas. Only, this time, we get to hear and see the exponents of contemporary music too.