I am not a huge fan of most of Karan Johar’s ostentatious work, yet this show altered my perception and made me realize the true potential of all that obnoxious “Inidan Cinema” as ideal source of content to make Pretentious reviews about!

Both Biswa Kalyan Rath and Kanan Gill are not just great comedians but brilliant performers and writers. With some ingenious and witty remarks throughout the show, most of the short videos in the series are absolute gems. The best part has to be the details, they bare everything to its bones, not just pointing out plot holes but absolute ludicrous moments that the movie directors, actors and writers slip by. This show while being quite a testament on gullibility of Indian viewers, still remains light, fresh and crisp.

We have accepted most of the nonsense that bollywood tries to shove down our throats no-questions-asked, it was about time someone called out their charade. With a format so unique and script so solid, it’s unfair to recommend it without highest of enthusiasm.

It would be unfair to belittle a unique attempt at voicing the struggles of the oppressed gender but the satirical monotony of the show gets very overwhelming very soon. 'Man's World' is a show answering what if men were treated the same way as women are in a predominant patriarchy.

On paper what sounds like a intriguing enough concept, actually feels more like a pseudo-feminist propaganda than a progressive attempt at equality. The agenda aside, show does offer some great performances, elegant cameos, and entertaining dialogues. Each episode addresses some double standards and manages to hit hard a few, if not all prevailing prejudices with appropriate use of humor.

What feels unnatural about the show is how it tries to project all traits associated with a woman as more of a curse rather than nature. Everything from child bearing to menstruation has been portrayed as a burden to be condemned than a blessing to be embraced.

The show is a light-hearted attempt at exploring gender biases and is best seen as that. Looking beyond the surface or reading between the lines will prove rather futile.

It all begins when Chandan(Sumeet Vyas) returns to India and runs into his brother Chitwan (Amol Parashar) at a club. Chandan has one too many to drink and passes out. Chitwan manages to load Chandan in his car and drive back home only to find out that the bank is looking for him for a couple of missed car's installments. He takes his car and Chandan on an impromptu road trip to their sister Chanchal's (Maanvi Gagroo) place, who is amidst a crisis of her own. The three flee the scene, contemplating possible solutions for their plights.

Sumeet Vyas, Maanvi Gagroo, and Amol Prashar, being the brilliant actors they are, feel natural in their portrayal of multi-faceted and multidimensional characters. They are amicable, hilarious and relatable. It’s extremely easy to resonate with their struggles and find a connection with their eccentric characters.

Boasting remarkable performances, hilarious, witty catchphrases and a strong script, ‘TVF’s Tripling’ is nothing short of a stroke of a genius. The show checks all the boxes of an entertaining drama/comedy series. Go for it, without a second thought.

Amazon’s latest production is an unconventional take on romance with a lot of off-beat stories. The series consists of 8 episodes and 8 different tales based on true life.

From a bipolar girl’s struggle to find love to couples on the verge of falling out, the show covers a variety of themes. Every episode boasts a stellar cast and they deliver convincing performances as expected. What makes the experience more authentic and heart warming is the fact that people have actually lived these stories off-screen and struggled to find their happily ever after.

Amazon took a safe bet with a show of this sort with renowned actors, good-enough scripts and a clean production design. The show is easy to recommend for a binge watching session on a laid back weekend.

The show starts off bad, gets better and then eventually tumbles down to worse. Vir das is a great performer and a host for the show but definitely lacks his usual flare as a stand-up comic. For a show that is about accessing the tolerance of various cultures when it comes to stereotypes and comedy, the script is brim filled with annoying clichés.

The show is an attempt to find what is funny to the Indians. Vir das and his entourage travel from town to town exploring its topography and finding answers to some uncomfortable cultural norms. They meet the locals, travel and learn. At the end of each episode, Vir puts up a stand-up show.

What stood out to me most of was the direction and editing. The locations and backdrops are breath taking. However, editing doesn’t make up for pathetic comedy and stand-up performances that puts the viewer right to sleep. It becomes clear when watching the show, scripts have been hastened and Vir das didn’t have much time to put up a performance.

The show has a novel concept but lacks execution. Althought the show is unique experience yet it can not be strongly recommended.

9 times out of ten, I am left in awe when I see Manoj Bajpai on screen but this is one of those times where even his profound skill set struggles to save a weak script. Srikant (Manoj Bajpai) works for TASC, a secret agency that proactively predicts and stops terrorist activities. Thanks to a job that keeps him on the toes, his personal life is on the verge of being a colossal wreck. Grappling with family and work, 'The family man' often finds himself in perilous yet humorous quandaries.

The cast is well-curated and performances are convincing. While the plot isn't edge-of-the-seat gripping, it is engaging enough to compel the viewer into finding out what happens next. The writing might have benefited from a better focus on a natural dialect rather than trying to push as many cuss words as possible in a scene.

With some masterpieces like 'Mirzapur', 'Made in heaven' under its belt, Amazon runs a bit short this time to uphold its standards and produces a show that seems a little too familiar with "Pakistani terrorists" out to obliterate India. Give it a go, primarily, for some great on-screen performances.

Ah! In a sea of mediocre series with overblown characters, Summer Love is a down-to-earth, simple piece of production that greets you like a summer breeze. It makes you believe in the power of filmmaking by going back to the basics --the story and the characters-- a refreshingly rare move today. The story starts off mid-dialogue, which is one of the most ingenious ways to get the audience hooked. It then ascends at just the right pace and we take a seat inside the characters’ minds as they narrate their feelings and their journey together.

Unlike other shows in the genre, this one chooses to make both the characters’ stories heard, and not just the male lead’s. The show is cute but sticks incredibly well to realistic scenarios. The background score is incredibly well-placed and the characters’ chemistry is almost unreal. They mesh incredibly well, and the story does a stellar job of portraying love-- from overthinking about his cues to using an ice cream to symbolize their feelings--the show puts a lot of effort into the little things, and, in the show’s lingo, isn’t it the little things that matter the most?

This is a must-watch if you’re fond of intelligent storylines and creative character arcs.

The series follows Richa (Ahsaas Channa), a run-of-the-mill shy girl who’s ready to break out into the world, taking her roommate Milli (Simran Natekar), and unwelcome friend Jo (Srishti Shrivastava) for the ride. It follows their adventures as they tackle serious problems, like identifying the bra-thief in their hostel. The show does a good job of being light-hearted but not baseless. While a lot of the problems are made-up, and the show throws in fake misogyny to incite humor, it lets some real conditions slip in, like the double-standards around there being a curfew for girls, but not for boys.

The show also does such a good job at recreating college life that cliches like the social ladder and the forced villainization of medical students only adds to the fun. Another villain, the warden (Trupti Khamkar) was, surprisingly, one of the funniest characters in the series. Other roles were reasonably well-acted, and the work put into film editing shines as well.

It’s cheesy, but entertaining enough to make it watch worthy.

It's been a while, since purely desi, unapologetically middle-class characters took to lead in a surprisingly entertaining and convincing teenage drama grappling with relationships, education, and budget.

'Nalayak' is is a tale of two dead beats, Sandy (Rajat Verma) and Laddu (Pawan Yadav) with futures as colorful as a monsoon sky. While they might not be book smart or street smart, their ambitions, however, surpass their bleak realities. Sandy falls for a girl way out of his league. In order to woo her, Laddu aids him and they devise a plan (inspired by Bollywood) of leaking math's board exam. With no resources or a plan at hand, harsh repercussions soon set in. All episodes manage to strike an interesting balance between emotions, drama, and comedy. Writing is fresh and performances well done.

The second season has unexplained progressions, but the ethos of the show remains consistent. While watching underachievers navigate through life may not be the most enticing thing, 'Nalayaks' wacky approach does have a charm to it.

Confusion confined just to love and lust would have made for great drama, but it has found its way into plotline and actors' headspaces. Extremely slow narrative and redundantly long segues aren't working in the show's favor either.

It all begins when Poroma Sarkar (Tara-Alisha Berry), a lively, adventure seeker makes a plan to move from Kolkata all the way to Bombay on a journey of self-discovery. Her fiance and soon to be husband is leaving soon on a long business trip to America, thus making it an ideal opportunity to discover herself beyond their relationship. What seemed like a delicate and innovative idea for a TV show soon turns into a chaotic mess of unreasonable impulsive actions. Beyond new work and acquaintances, Poroma's experiences also involve sexual exploration and mindless infidelity attempted to veil as self-care. At one point she sleeps with her roommate's boyfriend.

Half of the stuff happening on screen doesn't make sense and the other half is repulsive. Poor writing, performances, and direction are equally to blame. Watch the show only if you care enough to find out if retribution awaits for Poroma.