Tag: Netflix

Govt’s New Social Media Guidelines Require Platforms to Submit Monthly Compliance Report: Key Highlights

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Alongside the new guidelines for OTT platforms over classification ratings and grievance redressals, the government of India has also launched new guidelines for social media platforms that include punishment for publishing offensive content, social media platforms having to publish a monthly compliance report, and the removal of offensive content within 24 hours, among other rules. The new set of guidelines for social media platforms come alongside the new framework launched for OTT platforms, which will require them to self-classify content, and follow a three-level grievance redressal mechanism.

The new guidelines for social media platforms require significant social media platforms (platforms having a user base over a certain threshold) will need to enable the identification of the first originator of the information for publishing offensive content. This person is liable for an imprisonment of > 5 years. Apart from this, prominent platforms also need to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, a Nodal Contract Person, and a Resident Grievance Officer. They will also need to publish a monthly compliance report with details of complaints received and action taken. The prominent social media platforms are also required to take down all offensive content within 24 hours of receipt of a complaint. Others shall acknowledge within 24 hours and resolve the overall issue within 15 days.

Apart from this, the new guidelines pertain to OTT platforms, as previously reported. Here are a few key highlights for OTT platforms:

-OTT platforms now have to self-classify content into 5 age-based categories – U, 7+, 13+, 16+ and A which need to be displayed. Parental locks and age verification mechanisms to be applied as per the content rating.

-OTT content will be governed by a 3-level grievance redressal mechanism – (1) self regulation by platform, (2) self-regulatory body and (3) oversight mechanism formulated by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

-News on OTT platforms will have to observe the guidelines set by Press Council of India and the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act to bring it in line with print and TV news.



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Ladies And Gentlemen, Your Movie Downloads Are Ready; Netflix For Android Gets Intelligent Downloads

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Netflix has rolled out a really cool new feature called Downloads For You, and it is the next big upgrade to downloading content from Netflix on your Android phones and tablets, some three years after Smart Downloads rolled out. The global video streaming giant says that Downloads For You will work intelligently and automatically download recommended TV shows and movies, based on what you have been watching thus far, and therefore what Netflix understands of your tastes. This feature is now rolling out with the Netflix app for Android devices now, while a similar feature will begin testing for Apple’s iPhone and iPad soon.

But before you get all stressed about whether this will eat up the storage space on your Android phone or tablet, Netflix lets you choose how much of the device space you want to give for Netflix Downloads For You to use—this could be 1GB, 3GB or 5GB, and based on the space available, Netflix will predict and download movies and TV shows for you. All said and done, this is opt in feature, which means you need to open the Netflix app on your Android phone or tablet and toggle the Downloads For You option to on. Then you choose the space that can be reserved for these downloads. And voila, the next time you open your Netflix app on a long flight or a road trip, prepare to be surprised.

Android users are having a really good time of it, off late. Earlier this year, Netflix added a new immersive audio experience for Android users and that it will now stream content with Extended HE-AAC with MPEG-D DRC (xHE-AAC) audio extensions on compatible Android devices. At the end of the year 2020, Netflix clocked more than 200 million users globally. In India, Netflix at present offers four subscription plans. The Mobile-only Rs 199 plan offers streaming at up to 480p resolution and can be used only with the Netflix mobile app. The Basic Rs 499 plan also offers maximum 480p resolution streaming and can be used on any mobile, TV or PC, but streaming is limited to one screen at a time. The Standard plan priced at Rs 649 offers Full HD resolution streaming with the ability to simulcast Netflix on two screens at the same time. The highest tier Premium plan is priced at Rs 799 per month and streams 4K + HDR content and can be viewed on up to 4 screens at the same time.



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Dhanush Starrer Tamil Film Jagame Thandhiram to Release on Netflix

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Actor Dhanush-starrer Tamil film Jagame Thandhiram (Tricky World) is all set to release on Netflix. Directed by Karthik Subbara, the film revolves around Suruli, a nomadic gangster who has to choose between good and evil in a war for what one can truly call home.

The film is produced by YNot Studios and Reliance Entertainment. Speaking about his collaboration with Netflix, Subbaraj said, “Jagame Thandhiram is my dream film. A script that’s very close to my heart. A story that needs to be told, and heard by audiences across the world. This film has found a new way to speak to its audience. Jagame Thandhiram will be premiered by Netflix worldwide in over 190 countries and in multiple languages simultaneously.”

S Sashikanth from YNOT Studios said, “Our film is going to be an exciting adventure to watch out for and we are confident that the film will reflect the hard work of the cast and crew, strike a chord with the audiences and receive much acclaim for its efforts.”

Pratiksha Rao, Director – Content Acquisition, Netflix India said, “We are thrilled to be the home for Karthik Subbaraj’s Jagame Thandhiram, and are excited to showcase the brilliance and magic of Tamil cinema to the world. This must-see, enthralling Dhanush starrer promises to entertain fans, and we are honoured to bring it to audiences in India and globally.”

The film also stars James Cosmo, Aishwarya, Lekshmi, Kalaiyarasan, Joju George and others. The music of the film is composed by Santhosh Narayanan.



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To All the Boys Always and Forever Movie Review: Cliched But A Perfect Valentine’s Day Watch

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To All the Boys Always and Forever

Cast: Noah Centineo, Lana Condor

Director: Michael Fimognari

Three years ago, when Lara Jean’s (Lana Condor) sister Kitty sent out her secret love letters to her crushes, we all secretly wished to have a sibling like her. She did create a mess for Lara but it made her land up with the super charming Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo). Lara and Peter have been ‘couple goals’ since then and they continue to be in the final film of the trilogy—To All the Boys: Always and Forever. And watching Lara and Peter cuddling on a warm couch is what you exactly need in the month of love.

The third film begins with Lara having the time of her life with her sisters vacationing in different continents. She is also preparing for her last year in high-school and is busy building a fantasy world picturing what life with her family, friends and Peter will look like after graduation. But Lara’s imaginary world collapses when she learns to have been accepted to a college far away from Peter’s college. They’d soon be out of each other’s sight, which is horrible to even think about.

At the same time, Lara cannot help but be fantasised by the possibility of living in New York City. Here, we get our tipping point for part 3—Long Distance Relationships (LDR).

To All the Boys franchise has been repackaging the same old rom-com clichés in all the films and the final part is no different. The first film, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, lured the audience with the charm of first relationships and dreams of a happily-ever-after, whereas PS I Still Love You established Gen Z as confused about the concept of love as any other generation. It was about the tough parts of being in a real relationship and how to communicate through messy complications and deceits.

The final film Always and Forever serves the Internet generation. Like a conventional high school rom-com, it has a damsel in distress, a charmingly protective boyfriend, fears of separation and a flashy prom. Yet it manages to be refreshing and enjoyable. The sole credit for it goes to Lana Condor and Noah Centineo. They are so relatable that you cannot help but wonder how you’d react in their situation. Turns out, most of their chaotic and unplanned decisions are very doable when you’re a teenager.

At the heart of it — what holds the franchise together — is that the characters want the things we want: To love, be loved, and chase our dreams. Always and Forever aims to be playful but with greater consequences.

This time Lara comes around as the decisive force. She listens to herself, learns to trust her choices, and communicates those choices to Peter. A mature change we expect from somebody who stepping into the professional world.

With a blast of indie-pop score and a clever attempt at cinematography, To All the Boys franchise turns out to a fair adaptation of Jenny Han’s three-part novel. After the success of the first part, the second film did take a dip but the final outing covers for it.

Not to be too taken seriously, it’s a fun watch. The trilogy can be this generation’s Friends with Benefits or A Lot Like Love.

Rating: 3.5/5



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The White Tiger Movie Review: Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra Try Lifting A Jumbled Up Film

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The White Tiger

Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra, Rajkummar Rao

Director: Ramin Bahrani

“The Indian entrepreneur has to be straight and crooked, mocking and believing, sly and sincere, all at the same time.”

Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav), while continuously breaking the fourth wall through dialogues and gestures, readies us for the ‘dark times’. He asks us to not take the opening of the film on its face value as his story is not what it seems to be.

Director Ramin Bahrani (Man Push Cart, 99 Homes) focuses on the difficult choices made by an ambitious, fast learner and conniving Jharkhand boy in The White Tiger, based on a synonymous book by Aravind Adiga. In the process, he tries to explore the caste and economic divide and how they’re interrelated in modern India, which is not always about the shining module projected to the world. However, most of it fails to fetch any second looks.

Gourav stands his ground against Priyanka Chopra, who is brimming with confidence and a fantastic screen presence, and Rajkummar Rao, who struggles during accent swap. Because the narrator and the central character are one, bringing many sides of the story must have been tedious for Bahrani, but he somehow manages to give the audience a picture of how the rural-urban segregation could have worked during the initial days of liberal economy.

Despite promising a darker tale in the beginning, The White Tiger rarely ventures beyond the obvious. There is no denying that the privileged part of the West might find some portions unsettling, but overall, it doesn’t impact to the level that you begin pondering about the natural progression the story could have followed otherwise. Not comparing with Slumdog Millionaire, but at least Danny Boyle got the shock value to the optimum. Here, Bahrani entangles himself in metaphors that don’t generate any curiosity or are totally lost in translation.

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I also have issues with celebrating grimness or justifying poverty or being underprivileged as the ultimate catalyst to crime, which unfortunately is the sole reason behind the bulk of Gourav’s deeds in the latter half. Even if it is not directly about the victim and the predator, you wouldn’t want the makers to cheer for the right person while standing in the wrong court.

Also, because a lot has changed since the release of the book in 2008, some plots could have been read in a new light. One thing that has categorically changed in last 12-13 years is the upliftment of the high aspirational values of the youth, both rural and urban. With the support from the government and some protection by the law, youngsters probably wouldn’t go down the ambiguous path of fraud and crime. It’s debatable though.

The White Tiger,streaming on Netflix in India, keeps feeding the same poor-guy-turned-criminal narrative to its takers. It hardly shows any intentions of scratching beneath the surface. Not intriguing enough.

Rating: 2/5



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Tribhanga Movie Review: Thought Behind the Film Deserves Attention

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Tribhanga: Tedhi Medhi Crazy

Cast: Kajol, Tanvi Azmi, Mithila Palkar

Director: Renuka Shahane

Estranged relationships, humanising women and retrospection are some heavy terms that went around when Netflix announced its latest release — Tribhanga: Tedhi Medhi Crazy. Given the cast of Kajol, Tanvi Azmi and Mithila Palkar, film’s director Renuka Shahane was anticipated to pull off the tricky task of making an impactful and layered film, however, it didn’t turn out as planned.

At 1 hour 30 minutes, Tribhanga oscillates between past and present as Milan (Kunaal Roy Kapur) interviews award-winning author Nayantara Apte (Tanvi Azmi). Kajol plays Nayan’s daughter Anuradha, who is a foul-mouthed, controversial celebrity. She is also a protective single mother to Masha (Mithila Palkar). Nayan suffers a brain stroke and Anu, who doesn’t have a very cordial relationship with her, rushes to be by her mother’s side and so does Masha. It is in the hospital that they get to think about the debatable decisions of their lives.

Nayan is an ambitious author who prioritised her career over her husband. Seeing her predicaments with a failed marriage, Anu reasons being a single mother can be a solution to all the complications. But for Masha, neither works. Her controversial mother has been the reason of her miserable childhood and hence she wants to be a dedicated family woman.

The three generations are antithetical who question and challenge the rigid traditional interpretations of women in our patriarchal society but they appear very much alike. They have seen their preceding generations struggling to adjust themselves between being rebels and ideal mothers and don’t want to be like them. But they end up being the same.

The film shows the complex past of these women and how they are rethinking about it but what do they do about it? The film never answers that. You desperately wait for the closure but you don’t find it. It simply refuses to move ahead. Because the duration of the film is rather short, you don’t realise when an hour and a half passed away, but Tribhanga fails to hold attention.

Tribhanga scores 100 on 100 on the relatability factor. One can certainly make a connection and relay to the thought process of these characters. But it is very short-lived because their actions seem impractical. You want to empathise longer, step into their shoes and reason with them but they lack agency and often appear superficial and confused.

The problem is not with the actors. Azmi as the composed Nayan is phenomenal and it is nostalgic to see Kajol with her Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham energy albeit feminist avatar, it is the execution that limits the film in general. It starts a conversation around humanising relationships and tries to build a narrative asking viewers to stop putting them on a pedestal but it doesn’t lead them there.

The thought behind Tribhanga deserves attention, but the film? Not so much.

Rating: 2/5



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AK Vs AK Movie Review: Anil Kapoor, Anurag Kashyap Shine In Vikramaditya Motwane’s Terrific Film

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AK Vs AK

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Anurag Kashyap, Yogita Bihani

Director: Vikramaditya Motwane

Easily one of the finest Hindi films of the year, and definitely the most unique with a mainstream star in it, AK Vs AK has Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap playing themselves amid heightened emotions, surreal moments and twisted plots. It’s different, enjoyable, trippy and a total blur between reality and fiction.

It all starts when an ageing superstar AK (Anil Kapoor) gets into a heated argument with another AK (Anurag Kashyap), a self-obsessed filmmaker, and Kashyap kidnaps Kapoor’s daughter, actress Sonam Kapoor (Sonam Kapoor). Then begins a chase which, in a way, tries to bring forth the paradoxes of a Bollywood star’s life and how they’re expected to ‘act’ even during the depressing times.

Director Vikramaditya Motwane, whose placements of handheld camera with gloomy surround lighting in Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, impressed me a lot, is in an even better mood here as he gets voyeuristic, sensational and under the skin. I forgot to tell you that Motwane has a representative in Yogita Bihani, Kashyap’s assistant in the film, who is recording Kapoor’s moves.

Of course, some restrains have been maintained but Motwane has stretched till he could as Kapoor and Kashyap flaunt self-deprecating humour almost to the verge of unsettling the viewers. For example, Kapoor taunts Bihani of being Kashyap’s girlfriend, or Harshvardhan Kapoor, Anil Kapoor’s son, trying to impress Kashyap with his acting chops in the middle of a crisis.

The other side of a star life has also been expressed as onlookers keep asking Kapoor to do his famous Ram Lakhan steps, a song that came more than three decades ago. The perception of a Bollywood star as the ultimate public influencer has been challenged. It’s so ironic and tragic to see Kapoor dancing to please the audience in the middle of the search for his missing daughter.

There are enough Kashyap jokes as well, like the one about his brother being the most commercially successful filmmaker in the family. At times, it even attempts to look beyond Kashyap’s tough exterior of being an outspoken, perennially angry person. It’s hard to find out how much of this is ‘acting’. Full marks to Motwane for making his actors comfortable enough to make them visit the dark alleys of their subconscious where there is no right and wrong, only the immediate reaction to clear and present danger.

Interestingly, despite the handheld camera recording everything, it’s not exactly a fly on the wall documentation. The filmmaker has quite strong opinions about many developments. Motwane, in no uncertain terms, pushes his characters to make bold comments about Bollywood, insider versus outsider and lack of resources. Needless to say, such ploys add depth to AK Vs AK.

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Kapoor has excelled. It’s funny to even write this because he is playing himself but we don’t know how much of this is not script-bound! Kashyap has once again shown his love for unique material, and he has bared all, sometimes literally. While Harshvardhan Kapoor shines in a cameo, Yogita Bihani also fits the bill.

Another lovely film from Motwane’s repertoire. It reaches where mainstream Bollywood films hesitate to go.

Rating: 4/5

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Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Movie Review: Viola Davis-Chadwick Boseman’s Film is Oscar Worthy

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In a year when thousands gathered on the streets chanting ‘Black Lives Matter’, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom finding screen space appears like a detailed explanation to why the movement is so important to many across the world. In the undertones of recording an album, the film unabashedly talks about social injustice, oppression and racism in late ‘1920s.

Based on the play of the same name by August Wilson, the Netflix film begins with a concert in a tent. It is a sweaty and sensual extravaganza of the blues in action as the workers line up to listen to the ‘Mother of the Blues’. After introducing the audience to Ma Rainey, one of the earliest African-American professional blues singers, we see her in Chicago recording an album with her band.

Undoubtedly Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman are the cores of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottoms and early on director George C Wolfe makes it clear that the two will share the same spotlight. Viola as the titular character is a headstrong, starry woman who lives by “You play by my rules’ mantra. Even though she’s at the pinnacle of her game, she’s fighting for her worth at every moment. She knows she’ll be soon taken over by a new voice, but she also knows that if she exposes her vulnerabilities she’d succumb to society’s prejudices dictating her merit.

Contrary to Ma Rainey, Boseman’s Levee represents change. He’s impulsive and occupied with ‘I know what I’m doing’ but to all intents and purposes, he’s looking for a shortcut to be like Ma. He’s in perfect sync with his band on the stage, but his understanding of the world is completely off the tune with them. While he wants to make it big, his much more experienced band members have come to terms with their lives. It is through his ‘blasphemous’ conflicts with them that the film makes a commentary upon the cruelty the people of colour have endured over the years.

Having watched Davis in the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s play Fences and the comedy-drama The Help, it was expected of her to dominate the screen every time she mouthed a bossy dialogue as the unapologetic celebrity. So was Boseman. However, watching him as the loudmouth and ill-tempered Levee was a pleasant contrast to his popular superhero character Black Panther.

Sadly, Boseman passed away in August 2020 during the film’s post-production, making Black Bottom his final film appearance. Every time he’s on the screen you can’t help but wonder what an irreplaceable powerhouse of talent he was. It will be fair to say that his final screen moments are the finest in his acting career.

Apart from Davis and Boseman, one has to acknowledge the brilliance of film’s supporting cast — Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo and Michael Potts. One gets to comprehend what these charismatic actors are capable of when their mere conversations in a rehearsal room give you a pictorial representation of what precisely happens when a person of colour is subjected to discrimination, public humiliation, emotional violation and sexual abuse.

The film neither exaggerates nor underplays racial tensions. Instead, the director impersonates it rather subtly in silent, awkward scenes when a group of black men walk through the Chicago streets or when they enter a store full of white people. In doing so, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom hits the audience with a hard pungent punch when they’re least expecting it. There are no conversations in these scenes but the uneasiness and awkwardness are palpable.

For the most part of the film, it doesn’t feel like you’re watching a movie. It’s more like you’re eavesdropping and listening to the private conversations of a band as they wait to record their song. However, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom can’t be treated as just another film you can watch while scrolling through your Instagram feed. It’s powerful, layered and must-watch. Don’t be surprised if you find the film as one of the favourites at the global awards, it is that good.

Rating: 4/5

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Allu Arjun’s Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is Most Watched Telugu Film on Netflix in 2020

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Telugu star Allu Arjun continues to garner love from viewers despite the constraints of 2020. This year the majority of those seeking entertainment opted for OTT platforms and Allu Arjun’s Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo stood as one of the top ten films with most views on Netflix.

What makes this feat commendable is that the Allu Arjun-starrer released on the 12th of January this year and it still remains etched in the memories of viewers. From time to time, the family drama features on various lists of most viewed films since its monstrous success at the box office.

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo making it to the top ten titles over the OTT platform validates the fact that Allu Arjun has an unparalleled connection with his fans worldwide. One of the biggest reasons for his success streak at the movies is that his films are a fusion of many genres including action, drama, romance and comedy.

Not long ago, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo hit the record-breaking TRP score of 29.4 with 2.19 crore impressions at its TV premiere, making it the first Telugu film to have touched such numbers. Not to mention, the movie is also a favourite among non-Telugu speakers.

Directed by Trivikram Srininvasan, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo revolves around Bantu (essayed by Allu Arjun), who grows up being constantly subjected to his father’s scorn, until he learns of his real parentage and decides to carve a place for himself within the family he truly belongs to.

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