Sonal Pandya

Fixed is not a family film. It is far, far from that. Instead, the animated feature on Netflix focuses on a dog named Bull who is about to lose his ‘manhood’ by being neutered at the vet. Along with three of his besties, he has a wild 24 hours before he is tamed. Think of Fixed as an animated The Hangover featuring canine characters. Filmmaker Genndy Tartakovsky’s new animated feature goes hard and may not be for everyone. Bull (voice of Adam DeVine) is a mutt who is loved by his family but they are tired of him humping anything that moves, including the aged Nana. The solution is to send him to the vet to get neutered once and for all. Bull’s pack of besties, boxer Rocco (voice of Idris Elba), dachshund Fetch (voice of Fred Armisen) and beagle Lucky (voice of Bobby Moynihan), try to reassure him, but he runs off to the city. They eventually track him down, leading to a night of mayhem where Bull tries to admit his feelings for Honey (voice of Kathryn Hahn), an Afghan hound who is being presented at the dog show. The pack’s misadventures make up much of the story.

The Hindi series Saare Jahan Se Accha is a fictional take on historical events and is centred around India and Pakistan’s nuclear programs. Created by Gaurav Shukla, the show is set during the late 1960s to early 1970s, focusing on the early days of India’s Research and Analysis Wing and its attempts to sabotage Pakistan’s nuclear program. The taut thriller globetrots all over the world, but the action in Pakistan is where the story matters. The makers build up the suspense and action, leading to a dramatic and satisfying finish. Pratik Gandhi plays Vishnu Shankar, a counterintelligence officer who becomes a RAW agent under RN Kao (Rajat Kapoor). The newlywed heads to Pakistan with his wife, Mohini (Tillotama Shome), for a dangerous mission to find out what is going on with their nuclear program. ISI chief Murtuza Malik (Sunny Hinduja) runs a tight ship, weeding out traitors and spies while helping Pakistan cross the finish line to become a nuclear power. The clash of these two individuals and their successes and failures makes up more of the story of Saare Jahan Se Accha.

Created by Deva Katta, the nine-episode drama series Mayasabha - Rise of the Titans is the origin story of two fictional politicians, Kakarla Krishnama Naidu (Aadhi Pinisetty) and MS Rami Reddy (Chaitanya Rao). The series begins in August 1995 and rewinds back two decades to 1975, where the two protagonists begin to take their first steps towards their grand political careers. While largely set in Andhra Pradesh, Mayasabha also involves the national political scene, which dictates state politics. While compelling, the series is the setup for a larger clash in what looks to be season 2. Krishnama Naidu and Rami Reddy come from humble backgrounds and both have to work their way upwards. Naidu is a son of a farmer that pays his own way to college; there he becomes involved in student politics. Meanwhile, Reddy is studying to be a doctor and wants to leave his gangster father, Shiva Reddy’s, reputation behind. Their progress in life is shown separately until they meet and form a tentative friendship. It grows over time, but politics is a fickle business. One day you’re on top and the next, you’re behind bars. The Telugu series follows their rise and fall, along with that of other politicians in their party.

The quirky and mysterious Addams family is back in Netflix’s top show Wednesday for Season 2. In the first half of season two, Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) happily returns to Nevermore Academy, where new mysteries await her. Created by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, the show also focuses on the rest of the Addams clan, with mother-daughter conflicts and younger sibling woes. After the massive success of its first season, the pressure is on for this next round. The dark comedy manages to tick all the boxes that made it a success the first time around. Rooming with her werewolf bestie, Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers), again, Wednesday is actually pleased to return to school. However, she became a celebrity after saving the school last year and Wednesday doesn’t like the attention. The teen doesn’t have much time to waste, receiving a premonition of Enid’s death and another set of strange murders to solve. This time, she deals with a persistent stalker, some old enemies, and a stubborn mother, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who wants a progress report on her psychic abilities.

In Chief of War, Jason Momoa once again takes on a towering persona with Hawaiian warrior Ka’iana. The actor, who is also co-creator, writer, director, and executive producer, backs this violent but ambitious retelling of the unification of Hawaii’s islands during the late 1700s. The epic drama is also a history lesson combined with age-old themes of honour, pride, greed, and most importantly, power. The nine-part series focuses on the kings, rulers, warriors, and, of course, the people of Hawaii with its traditions and beliefs that must change over time. Ka’iana (Momoa) and his small family have relocated from Maui to the island of Kauai. But upon command of his king, Kahekili (Temuera Morrison), who has visions from a certain prophecy, he joins him for a battle on Oahu. There he realises the power-hungry Kahekili has deceived him and he spends the rest of the series atoning for his actions. Ka’iana leaves Hawaii and returns stronger, armed with knowledge and power that will help him in the war that is to come.

Adam Sandler has made it no secret that he enjoys working with his friends and family. His latest film, Happy Gilmore 2, is stuffed to the gills with cameos and friends of the actor. His wife, Jackie Sandler, and daughters, Sadie and Sunny, also have roles in the comedy sequel. The original, directed by Dennis Dugan, came out in 1996, and the sequel attempts a bit of maturity. Sandler’s Happy is now the one trying to save the traditions of the sport he picked up on a whim. However, the film begins on a downer from which it never recovers. The sequel becomes a much darker comedy as Happy is now a widower raising four strapping young men and a daughter, Vienna (Sunny Sandler). His old rival Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) is in a mental asylum, and an upstart millionaire named Frank Manatee (Benny Safdie) wants to start a rival golf league that goes against all the rules. Happy is now a depressed alcoholic and wouldn’t give Frank the time of day, except he really needs the money for Vienna’s dance school fees. Can he turn it around in a winner-takes-it-all tournament to save the sport?

Dharma Productions’ new political thriller Sarzameen, directed by Kayoze Irani, is largely a family drama. But the emotional dynamics between the parents and child, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kajol, and Ibrahim Ali Khan, are thinly connected. Their internal tension is dragged over two hours and 17 minutes in a narrative set in the Kashmir Valley. The thriller is weak, and the story of Sarzameen fails to reel you in. Colonel Vijay Menon (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is a proud Army officer who goes above and beyond his duty. He is posted in Kashmir along with his wife, Meher (Kajol), and son, Harman (Ronav Parihar). The young boy, who often stammers, craves his father’s approval. But Vijay has his outdated thinking of what it requires to be a man. Meher tries to mend their relationship, but it cracks further after Harman is used as leverage by terrorists. This further damages the father-son relationship and becomes a question of choice for Vijay: who will he pick, family or country?

The Summer I Turned Pretty’s final chapter takes tentative steps towards adulthood as Belly (Lola Tung) gears up for her senior year of college. Her friends and family around her also go through some major changes. But the real focus of the Amazon Prime Video coming-of-age series will always be about Belly’s choice of partner. Will she choose her first love, Conrad (Christopher Briney), or his younger brother Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno)? In this final 11-episode season, creator Jenny Han puts the trio through yet another roller-coaster summer to remember. A time jump shows Belly and Jeremiah happily together at Finch University. But that happiness is short-lived as Jeremiah’s graduation is delayed and Belly gets chosen for a study abroad program in Paris. Conrad is thriving across the country at Standford where he’s doing well studying to be a doctor. The gang plans to head back to the family home at Cousins Beach for a dedication ceremony for Conrad and Jeremiah’s mother Susannah (Rachel Blanchard). But will the reunion be happy or awkward?