This week we have two big Indian originals releasing in the form of Netflix’s thriller Murder Mubarak and Prime Video’s boarding school drama Big Girls Don’t Cry. The first is the adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s 2021 murder mystery novel, Club You to Death — where a Zumba instructor is found dead in the fictional and close-knit Royal Elite Delhi Club, a hot pot for the uber-rich to mingle. With each character having dark secrets of their own, finding the culprit becomes an Agatha Christie-style mystery.
Big Girls Don’t Cry, on the other hand, is a sweet, coming-of-age drama set in an all-girls boarding school and is assured to take you back to your adolescent days. It carefully portrays the everyday challenges of teenage girls in a strictly regulated setup.
Another big release is Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film, which will give you a glimpse into Taylor Swift’s live performances during the tour, as well as unseen footage from backstage. The popstar has ensured to include a few surprises for her fans as well.
For documentary enthusiasts, Prime Video has one based on the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The documentary views her journey through the lens of her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews.
Another option to consider is Netflix’s Turning point: The Bomb and the Cold War, which gives an intriguing account of the Cold War. From the development of the atomic bomb to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this documentary offers it all.
On international front, we recommend Bandidos (Spanish) which revolves around treasure hunters chasing Mayan treasure, and Young Royal Season 3, which is set in a Swedish boarding school landscape. With that, here are some of our top picks from this week’s new OTT releases.
Murder Mubarak
Where: Netflix
When: Now Streaming
Netflix’s latest murder mystery will take you to the world of hypocritical elites of Delhi, who breathe in shallowness and breathe out pettiness. In focus is the fictional Royal Elite Delhi Club, where a hunky Zumba instructor, Leo (Aashim Gulati), is found dead, kickstarting an investigation.
Under the radar of suspicion are a typical South Delhi girl (Sara Ali Khan), a deadly lover from Chandni Chowk (Vijay Varma), a B-grade movie actress (Karisma Kapoor), a drunken artist (Dimple Kapadia), a gossipmonger (Tisca Chopra) and her drug addled, party animal son (Sahail Nayyar). With each character harboring secrets of their own, it is difficult to guess the actual culprit.
The case is being handled by a meticulous detective called ACP Bhavani Singh who has his own colorful ways of uncovering the truth. Pankaj Tripathi has essayed the role with his usual brilliance.
Main Atal Hoon
Where: Zee5
When: Now Streaming
Pankaj Tripathi plays former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in this biopic, based on journalist Sarang Darshane’s biography of the politician. The film attempts to portray his political achievements and depicts how the stalwart navigated the Indian polity during key events like the Kargil War. Here, you’ll find plenty of key moments from his political career, including his iconic speeches.
While the film also claims to show his poetic side, it shies away from exploring the former PM’s personal life. The filmmakers have also conveniently skipped a few controversial aspects, such as the opposition that Vajpayee’s ideas found within his parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
If anything, you can watch this biography for Tripathi’s brilliant performance, who has aced Vajpayee’s body language, diction, and confidence perfectly. However, if you are a history enthusiast or have a keen interest in the political history of India, do not expect a multi-faceted representation with rich writing.
Big Girls Don’t Cry
Where: Prime Video
When: Now Streaming
Nitya Mehra’s (Made in Heaven) Big Girl’s Don’t Cry will take you to an all-girls boarding school in a hill town. Here, Pooja Bhatt is playing a strict principal who is more than likely to remind you of Amitabh Bachchan’s Narayan Shankar from Mohabbatein, given that both can’t stand even slight deviation from their institution’s deeply rooted core values.
Like all girls’ teenage dramas, here’ll you meet a chief gang which sets the trends. It includes the ‘twice-failed’ Pluggy who just wants to lose her virginity, the ambitious Noor who wants to get into a US college at all costs, the sporty Ludo who wants to be the Sports Captain, best friends JC and Roohi, both of whom are victims of familial distraught, the rebel-without-a-pause Dia, and Kavya, the new girl who is desperate to make it to the cool kid’s table.
The show serves a sweet candy of nostalgia which’ll make you chuckle with relatability. It rightly captures the issues of adolescent girls, from heartbreak, jealousy, emotional impulses and camaraderie to ambition and hormonal high.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Where: Disney+ Hotstar
When: Now Streaming
Taylor Swift needs no introduction. The American pop singer-songwriter enjoys a global fan following, with her fans often calling themselves Swifties. Taylor Swift started her sixth concert tour in March last year in Arizona, with 152 shows lined up across five continents. This concert film gives a behind-the-scenes peek into her musical journey and power-packed performances during the tour up until now (the final show will be in December this year). The performances conceptualise her evolution through different “eras” of her career.
While the film initially released theatrically and enjoyed its fair share of success, the digital version has the fans excited because of the four new acoustic performances in the Disney version, including Maroon and Death by a Thousand Cuts. Some of the bonus tracks included in this musical documentary are “Wildest Dreams,” “The Archer” and “Long Live.”
Grey’s Anatomy Season 20
Where: Disney+ Hotstar
When: Now Streaming
The longest running primetime medical drama is back with a new season. The television show follows Meredith Grey, daughter of a reputed surgeon, and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial hospital who are faced with life-or-death decisions daily. Over the years, Grey’s Anatomy has covered Dr. Grey’s days as an intern all the way to seniority.
In this season, she returns to Grey-Sloan memorial hospital after moving to Boston. Expect a new batch of interns, intense medical situations, moral dilemmas and a lot more. For the first time in the history of the show, Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey won’t be returning as a regular, with her appearance limited to just four episodes. She would, however, lend voiceovers for all the episodes.
Another new dimension is the show’s writer Meg Marinis replacing Krista Vernoff as the showrunner. Marinis has, however, been associated with the show ever since its inception.
Manhunt
Where: Apple TV+
When: Now Streaming
While the political achievements and assassination of Abraham Lincoln has been the prime subject of a lot of films and shows around the political figure, Apple TV’s latest focuses mainly on Lincoln’s secretary of war and longtime friend, Edwin Stanton (Tobias Menzies), trying to track down the assassin John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle).
As the investigation furthers, political conspiracies unfold. The series focuses on various chapters from Lincoln’s personal life, including the loss of his son and his conflicts with his spouse.
Monica Beletsky, who wrote third season of Fargo, has worn the hats of screenwriter and producer for Manhunt. Tobias Menzies has done an impressive job. The rest of the cast, too, has delivered nuanced performances.
