A quick look at the top stories of the week!
The good people on the Internet have found their next favourite person – Priya Prakash Varrier. The video song ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’ from the Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love was released on February 9, featuring two newcomers – Varrier and Roshan. The video, particularly featuring Varrier winking, is now the subject of several memes and parody videos.
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Read: After ‘Jimikki Kammal’, It’s ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’, Song From Oru Adaar Love That’s Going Viral
Some films, intentionally or unintentionally, have the ability to drag you back decades and reintroduce you to rage and fear. In recent years, three films did that to our writer – PadMan, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, and Tamil film Appa. All of them considered over-the-top by most critics, but rang true to their target audience.
Read: PadMan: The Film Is Loud, But Evokes Memories Of Living With Stigma
The much-celebrated meet cute scenes in our movies unabashedly promote stalking, and the classic ‘uske na main hi haan’ philosophy adds to the already skewed notion of ‘no means no’. On Valentine’s Day, we took a look at the portrayal of romance in Bollywood.
Read: Love In Bollywood: When Meet-Cute Moments Were Anything But Romantic
We also reviewed films that had romance staying off the beaten path, and embraced love with all its complexities; some charming, some tragic, some plain fated.
Read: When Love Isn’t A Bed Of Roses: ‘Mayaanadhi’, ‘Eeda’ Are Examples Of Complex, Layered Romance
Love Per Square Foot, Netflix India’s original film, is a perfect tribute to what millennials are *actually* like; the ones who are hard working and willing to go the extra mile. Despite the snafued economy, they dream big but not so big that it’s unattainable.
Read: Love Per Square Foot Review: A Film That Captures The Angst Of The Millennials
For an audience used to seeing composer-actor GV Prakash as a carefree youth on screen, Naachiyaar’s trailer was a revelation of sorts. He looked a typical Bala hero, cast against the grain and in a role that yanks him out of his comfort zone. In an interview with Silverscreen, Prakash opens up about life, his music, his friendship with Anurag Kashyap, and working with Bala.
“I wanted to prove myself as an actor with a role such as this. I felt I had to do justice to my career choice. I wanted to try something new after comedy and horror. And, Bala Sir is a good person to go to when you want to do anything differently,” he says.
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Read: ‘I’ll Quit The Day I Don’t Feel Good About Music Or Acting’: GV Prakash
A year after its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2017, Georgian director Nana Ekvtimishvili’s My Happy Family may not have attained the kind of fame that some films have, but it has had its fair share of recognition, as a tale featuring a 50-something woman who chooses to break away from her family.
The film is available for viewing on Netflix.
Read: ‘My Happy Family’ Is A Life-Like Portrait Of A Woman Who Just Wants To Let Go
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