A much-in-love young couple, Shahana(Angira Dhar) and Pawan(Ali Fazal) decide to get hitched and plan a destination wedding for themselves. They invite their respective parents to give their blessings to them and when their families do arrive, chaos begins and sparks fly in all the wrong directions. Bang Baaja Baraat is a refreshing take on the big fat Indian wedding and the chaos that ensue when two individuals with a diverse upbringing decide to get hitched, much to their parents’ dismay. Confusion, ladai-jhagda , and family drama later they all show up at the holy pyre for the matrimonial ceremony, which the pandit ji agrees to conduct even though they kept him and the mahoorat waiting for the longest time. But right before the pheras , the couple gets up, swears at each other and goes their separate ways.
Hilarious plot twists and great performances by popular faces from the theatre and film fraternity. Bang Baaja Baaraat is a remarkably realistic series, backed by cool and witty writing, hilarious plot twists, and great performances by the actors involved. It talks the contemporary talk, and touches subjects that, in an ideal commercial filmy world, none do. Including pre marital sex and pregnancy, ageism, gender equality, the whole point of marriage, love and friendship, and some such but in the wittiest, most practical way ever. The series has been treated no less than a mainstream feature film in terms of its look and feel.
A great, no-brainer romantic comedy for your late night binge-watching sessions!

Directed by Ken Ghosh, the 11-episode long web series stars Aasheema Vardhan who essays the protagonist Devika Dharam Dwivedi. Devika is a 22-year-old girl from Jaipur who does not give a damn about what people think about her. She is loud, fearless and confident to the core. Unlike girls who refrain from crossing the ‘lakshman rekha’ drawn by their families and society in general, Devika unapologetically shatters the stereotypes in classy way. Even if it means going against her family. She smokes marijuana, is fond of rum and uses expletives to express emotions.
Aasheema Vardhan, who plays the titular role in the series, is the one to watch out for. Both Ken Ghosh and Ekta Kapoor should give her a big hug for making their hard work successful in narrating Devdas through a female protagonist. You have Akhil Kapur who plays Parth (male version of Paro). However, the one to watch out for in the series is seasoned actor Sanjay Suri who is Anurag, in other words the male Chandramukhi.
There are a few moments where you'd be irritated with Asheema's character but you'll be over it in a moment. Akhil Kapur struggles to express or act in a few scenes but Asheema covers up for him. If you watch it thinking how realistically it has been shot, a few scenes will disappoint you instantly. Like kissing a guy at your own family function and no one except the mother seeing it, cigarettes and alcohol hidden under the bed but the mother doesn't find it. I mean it's right there! You can't not see it.
The only reason why you should watch the series is because of the narrative. Despite being a story known since ages, it is the fresh storytelling which will keep you glued to your couch and binge watch till the end. As the story progresses, there are twists in the plot which are just awesome.
It is a must watch for all you youngsters and parents trying to understand their kids. I would definitely recommend the show.

The show focuses on six central male characters. Each episode revolves around an event or a function, such as a school reunion, a close friend’s funeral, or a trip to see Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. The stadium trip has one of the show’s few well-fleshed out moments when Manjot and Mantra (Ravi Sinha) get angry at Advait for suggesting that India’s most beloved cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar, might not be all that he is made out to be.
The first episode opens with Advait (Chaitnya Sharma), a Barney Stinson-type playboy without the charisma, telling his school friends Manjot and Pragnesh (Divyang Thakkar) about the various types of sex he enjoys from breakup to makeup. We have heard this conversation before and the characters themselves express frustration with the theme in episode 2 when Advait invites Pragnesh out to a bar so they can talk about “other things” apart from sex.
Provocation is derived from not only sexuality, but also from social issues such as dowry and the beef ban. The second episode opens at a police station because Manjot and Bandah (Ajeet Singh Palawat), whose attempts at setting up a restaurant called Maxi Punjab become the show’s over-arching arc, have been accused by a disgruntled employee of selling beef. In episode 7, Pragnesh’s cousin is getting married and the groom’s family demands dowry by sending Bhadirao (Amey Wagh) as the messenger. Both times, the tension created by these issues isn’t used for comedic value, and because the filmmakers lack the courage of their convictions, the tension is allowed to dissipate. The greatest missed chance comes towards the end of the series. Bandha, who is portrayed as the typical Punjabi man who wears his heart on his sleeve, gets into fights, whose idea of flirting is extra-legal, and wants to become a Punjabi hip-hop star like Badshaah or Honey Singh, has a problem with homosexuals. This familiar dynamic could have been explored to reveal a larger truth about the issue, even if by poking fun at the situation, but the treatment is trite.
The show creates a large canvass for the creators to experiment with. Over time, the characters move past their original cliched characterisations and actually have more than one face to their personalities. But every time there is a chance to take a step forward, the show goes backward. Like its juvenile characters, the series refuses to grow up and take an adult attitude to life.

Meera(surbhi Jyoti) and Haider(Barun Sobti) meet during their mutual friends’ wedding and are instantly drawn to each other. A hookup later, both of them realize their love for each other. But here, the antagonist is not a person, but their own demons. Both of them are held captive by painful memories of their pasts. Tanhaiyan follows the journey of this emotionally scarred couple, as they not only discover love but also themselves.
Surbhi Jyoti shines as a headstrong, yet a broken woman. She is equally convincing in romantic as well as emotional scenes. Not to mention, she shares crackling chemistry with her co-actor.
The aesthetics of the series are simply too good. Apart from styling all the actors in dapper outfits, the web series also scores high on production value. The sets are extravagant which make the show look like a big budget movie. The background score impresses. Good looks kept aside, Barun Sobti’s characters have had a reputation for being straight out of Mills and Boons. He is always the alpha-make, an angry young man with a soft core and turbulent past. Here, he’s also a playboy, mouthing cringe-worthy lines such as “a girl can get into my bed, but not in my head” The actor needs some serious palate cleansing. The romantic scenes are extremely cliche, some of them being a total rip-off from Bollywood.
Overall the series sure looks half-baked but if you’re someone who appreciates a feel-good romantic drama where two lonely characters meet each other and hit it off instantly and separate instantly only to reunite again instantly, then you might as well give this one a shot.

'Tantra' dives headlong into the murky world of evil tantriks, black magic, devil worship and the like, pulling, us, the audience, along, into the fantastic realm of the mystical. The show boasts an ensemble cast of small screen veterans and newbies alike. Miss India 2015, Aditi Arya plays the protagonist Sunaina Sikand, while Sandeep Bhardwaj, the actor who cut his teeth on the meaty role of Veerappan in RGV’s eponymous film, plays the evil tantrik, Kukarmi.
Black magic is the dominant theme of the show. Human bones, the human skull (sigh, obviously!), blood, gore, all play a part in the proceedings. Who better than Bhatt to know the fascination viewers hold for occult practices, and he proceeds to milk it to the core. At the heart of the show is the tried and tested formula of family feuds, spearheaded by Rekha Sikand, the elder daughter-in-law of the Sikand family, who is tormented by the fact that her rich father-in-law has bequeathed the reins of the million-dollar family company to his younger son, i.e. her devar.
Out to extract her pound of flesh, and the family riches too, the lady vows to destroy the offending brother-in-law and his family. To achieve her ambition, she ropes in the maniacal Kukarmi, a devilish tantrik, with a penchant for materialising out of thin air at the oddest of times.
There’s also a good baba, Trilok Sharma, played by a benign-looking Dinesh Kaushik, thrown in to balance the equation between good and evil.
What works in the show’s favour is the tight editing, fast pace and good production quality. The acting in the show leaves a lot to be desired. It is unconvincing, wooden and eminently uninspired. The actors look like they have sleep-walked through their roles. story, written by Vikram Bhatt, is highly absorbing. The direction, by Bhatt’s protege, Sidhant Sachdev, is laudable. The storyline is edgy, dark and different. The creepiness of Kukarmi gets your heart racing and your hair standing on end. The title track is outstanding, hitting the right notes between haunting and melancholy.
The show manages to grab and hold eyeballs, with each episode having a running time between 15 to 20 minutes. Viewers are lapping up the offering, many even complaining that the episodes get over way too soon.

Maaya 2 is a beautiful tale of two girls, of opposite attributes. Ruhi (Leena Jumani) is the stronger one in the relationship, always knowing that she is a woman who gets attracted to the same sex. On the other hand, there is Simmi (Priyal Gor), the diffident, responsibility-bound girl who does not even realize initially that she belongs to a community that is ridiculed. The story starts with Simmi’s life being caught in a complete mess, with her so-called boy friend Puneet (Pranav Sachdev) being a manipulative jerk!! Ruhi and Simmi’s meet-up, followed by Ruhi’s immediate attraction towards her are shown well. Also, Ruhi is instantly made aware of Simmi’s problems with her boy friend. What follows after is the flow of love with high intensity, and with it, Simmi and Ruhi’s life changes. At this juncture comes in talented news reporter Beena (Anangsha Biswas) who goes on to be the biggest confidante to the two girls. Simmi’s struggles with Puneet act as a precursor for love between Simmi and Ruhi. As they say, love has no barrier, and it so happens here too. Simmi is drawn into loving Ruhi and the two find solace in each others’ arms. But problems with Puneet force Simmi to take drastic steps like consuming an overdose of sleeping pills, and also getting into knee-jerk reactions of moving away from Ruhi.
Talking about performances, Leena Jumani and Priyal Gor are such naturals when it comes to acting. Guess this work of theirs will remain as one of their most noted work throughout their careers. Kudos to them for taking up such a role!! Guess they had done their homework, researched a lot on this particular community, before gearing up for action time. They are effortless in their love-making scenes, and not even once does their effort look shabby. Just as they are very comfortable in their love scenes, they have the same degree of command over their emotional scenes. Pranav Sachdev as Puneet excels. From being a sex-hungry lover to a big-time schemer, who also reaches the borderline of being a psychopath, he has brought out his emotions, aggressiveness well. His scenes with the lighter caught our attention. An actor to notice and applaud is Anangsha Biswas. As Beena, she has done a good job. Tanvi Thakkar as Shanaya is good in the part she played. Vikas Grover as the friend Roy is a real sweet-heart that every friend will love to have. Senior actor Amit Singh Thakur has given a restrained good performance, in the limited scenes he gets.
The direction is brilliant, with Krishna scoring high, especially in capturing the real essence in the love of the two girls without it being ugly or obscene. Of course, the writing power of Vikram Bhatt has its say in every scene. Getting back to the complexity of the subject, the scene where the father and mother of Simmi accept their daughter’s lesbian relationship, like not even thinking twice about it, is a bit too much to handle!! Wonder how many parents will react in a similar way, if put in their shoe.
Overall, a sensitive subject handled really well by Vikram Bhatt and his team. Maaya 2 is indeed the change and trendsetter on the web space.

The story revolves around Rahul(Varun Thakur), who is a struggling actor. He lands a supporting role in washed out director Hariman’s latest movie. Hariman used to be a successful director, but his movies have been bombing lately. In a bid to save his career & have one last shot at success he convinces a gangster to lend him money for one last movie project. He promises the gangster that he will make a successful movie with his son Monty in the lead. Lured by this offer, the gangster agrees to bankroll Hariman’s horror movie. A series of mishaps happen at the shoot. Several people are murdered on the shoot. Monty acting talents or rather the lack of it worries Hariman no end. It now up to Rahul to save the day.
While it is not one of the most rib tickling comedies we have seen, it surely is entertaining.
Hemant Kumar who plays Monty – a Salman Khan rip off is funny as hell Salman Khan hangover is mad funny. Zahid Ali who plays Mukesh – a pot bellied has been actor is funny. Varun Thakur is convincing in his role. But, he doesn’t have the best punchlines. Monty’s Salman Khanesque antics will keep you amused. Pippa Hughes who plays Julia – Monty’s gf & also acts in the movie, adds some romantic flavor. Kanchan Pagare(Gangu) is funny. The rest of the cast fails to make an impression.
The jokes are not as funny as funny as one would expect from a Varun Thakur show. There was ample scope for funny scenes & evoke peals of laughter from the viewers, but the writers fail to do so. While the jokes failed to impress, we binged on the show, thanks to the script.
Shaitaan Haveli is a typical masala entertainer of a web series. Do not watch it with high expectations as far as the comedy department is concerned. It is a good show to watch.

'The Remix' is a music-based reality show, where the contestants fight to outdo each other in an absolutely unconventional department- remixing popular Bollywood numbers and presenting them before the judges and to an audience, hungry for innovation, originality and freshness. The judges comprise the singer extraordinaire, Sunidhi Chauhan; composer par excellence, Amit Tridevi; and the King of the console, Nucleya. Magic is bound to happen when you have a panel of judges as eclectic as this one. Host Karan Tacker also holds his own to make an impact. What makes the show beyond brilliant is its format- the format is creative and imaginative, hogging centre-stage, keeping us glued to our seats and ensuring that there’s never a dip in the tempo of the show. Ten teams, each comprising a singer and a remix artist, DJ if you may, rejig a popular number, add their own unique take to it and perform it before the judges and audience. Every week sees an elimination, hurtling the show headlong towards an exciting finale in the last, i.e. tenth episode.
The quality of production is outstanding- almost as good as international shows such as The Voice and X-Factor. The sets are dazzling, the vibes psychedelic, and the standard- world-class. The Remix abounds in music that is as uplifting as it is novel. Acknowledging our collective love for music and all things Bollywood, Amazon Prime has served up a delectable fare of Bollywood chartbusters doing a neat tango with the reshuffling skills of popular remix artists.
The judges deserve credit for being the most unselfconscious ones ever. They prod and provoke the contestants to deliver their best, all the while showering inspiring words of appreciation on them. Their observations are sharp, their comments, on point.
The show is a treat for lovers of fusion music. I'm, like all the other Remix addicts, are looking forward to a crackerjack of a finale.

Biswa Kalyan Rath’s ‘Lakhon Mein Ek’ on Amazon Prime Video is a dark commentary on the life of a student whose ambitions are not academic but the family pressure to get into IIT gets to him. The story of the series is around a teenage boy Akash (Ritvik Sahore) from Raipur who is a rather mediocre student. He has no aptitude for science but is under immense pressure from his parents to get into IIT. Every condescending statement his father utters reeks of his dreams for his son to get into IIT. And Akash has no option but to follow his ways. This leads him to a coaching center in Vishakhapatnam where he is thrown into a class where the teachers don’t want to teach and students get by with cheating in the exams. Akash tries to hold his head up high for a while but soon gives in to the ways of his friends. His friends, Bakri (Jay Thakkar) and Chudail (Alam Khan), are the only ones he can connect with and the boys try to survive by striking deals with the peons. Akash isn’t a lazy bum. He genuinely tries to cram his study material but we soon figure out that this world of hard-core academics is not meant for him. Biswa Kalyan Rath plays the Section A teacher here, who teaches the smart kids and Akash fools himself into believing that with good teachers on his side, he will actually understand the concepts but all of this is in vain. At some point, one feels that Biswa’s character could be the one that saves Akash.
Biswa tries to create a world that wants to sympathise with its protagonist but there are just no reliefs that make us hopeful for the boy. We can see his doom and after a point it becomes rather tragic to watch the boy spiral down. He is bullied, cornered and left begging for drugs just so he can survive a single day without getting beat up. By the 5th episode of the series, one is left with the constant expression of feeling sorry for Akash. And it makes you wonder that this is not the only hostel of such kind in India and Akash’s parents aren’t the only ones pressuring their son to get into IIT. Ritvik Sahore gives his all to making Akash believable. The boy makes you feel sorry, sympathetic but he also makes you laugh. The desi web-series have found an audience and it is honestly quite refreshing to watch a show that delves into something that exists all around us but has a rather dark side.

The almost 45-minute long first episode gives a sneak-peek into the main characters of the show, which is about the behind-the-door games that are far more complex than the cricket matches that the audience witness on the ground. The IPL-inspired series shows the crisis around the Mumbai Mavericks team, whose co-owner is a Bollywood actor Zarina Malik (Richa Chadha). While the T-20 league is on and the popular team is winning matches, there is an uncertainty on its future as one of its owners has gone bankrupt.
This crisis makes way for the entry of a powerful business tycoon Vikrant Dhawan, played by Vivek Oberoi, who buys the team. And while he comes in quite late in the episode, one knows that Vikrant is going to be a key player in this 10-episode long web series. Apart from him, rest of the characters, including Zarina, look mere pawns in the premise. There’s a go-getter coach in Niranjan Suri played by Sanjay Suri, who once again shines with his sincerity, a dedicated captain of Mumbai Mavericks in Arvind Vashishth, done by Angad Bedi, looking comfortable in the role and a notorious team member in Devender Mishra, by an impressive Amit Sial (of Titli fame). There’s also Tanuj Virvani’s star (read spoilt) batsman Vayu Raghavan. While the actor’s efforts are visible, at times he looks pretentious as I-don’t-give-a damn player. Two of the better performances come from Sayani Gupta, who looks pleasant and effortless as the Mumbai Mavericks’ smart and sassy analyst, and Siddhant Chaturvedi, a rookie fast bowler who is new to the Maximum city and the big (bad) ways of Mumbai Mavericks. Siddhant displays naivety, simplicity and determination of Prashant Kanaujia, who is like any other aspiring cricketer in the country, coming from a humble background.
Vivek as the shrewd Vikrant looks convincing but Richa as the former Bollywood glory, Zarina, is sadly inconsistent. While Richa brings out Zarina’s vulnerability quite well, she appears in the scenes that require her to be in control of herself and her position as an actor and Mumbai Mavericks’ owner.
'Inside Edge' is truly a guilty pleasure watch, because it lends itself well to the TV format. The episodic hooks leave you wanting more, secrets dominate the thrill factor in the narrative, there's a proper underdog and an over-achiever who get you invested in character journeys, and most of all, the episodes are crisp and well-performed.