'Panchayat' Season 4, 'Marianne': Our top picks for the weekend watch
Apple TV+ | 9 episodes | Dark Comedy/Drama
Apple TV+ continues to be that underrated platform — low-key loaded with hidden gems, and Your Friends & Neighbors is the latest proof.
Jon Hamm plays a once-wealthy man who's gone broke — but instead of downsizing or getting a 9-to-5, he turns to stealing from the very people he smiles at every day: his rich, oblivious neighbours. The show blends humour, tension, and sharp class commentary in a slick 9-episode season that's easy to binge but leaves you thinking.
It's funny. It's a little unhinged. And it's got just the right amount of suspense to keep you coming back. Season 2 is already confirmed — so get in now.
For fans of: White Lotus, smart dark comedies
BY HUSAIN RIZVI
2) Panchayat Season 4
Amazon Prime | 4 seasons | Comedy
Season 4 of Panchayat is here, and yes, we've all been waiting like Vikas outside Sachiv Ji's office. After three solid seasons that kept us hooked with unexpected twists and turns, the bar was set pretty high.
But there's something so comforting about slipping back into the sleepy lanes of Phoolera gaon, where time slows down and characters like Pradhan Ji (Raghubir Yadav), Prahlad (Faisal Malik), and our forever-stressed Sachiv Ji (Jitendra Kumar) feel like old friends.
This season brings a few surprises (no spoilers, I promise), and while it may not be my all-time favourite of the lot, it's still the kind of storytelling that gives your brain a break, especially when everything else on screen has been trying to outpace itself!
For fans of: Breezy, stress-busting sitcoms
BY SOMYA MEHTA
3) Marianne
Netflix | 1 Season | Horror
Netflix and chill (your spine) this weekend with this French 2019 horror series that takes a shot at the write-it-and-it'll-come-true genre.
Famous novelist (of terrifying books) Emma has escaped her nightmares — or so she thought. When she goes back to her childhood home, she discovers the cause of her night terrors is in fact real and ready to make her worst thoughts a reality.
There is, be warned, some grossness — with sequences that include blood, teeth, and stringy hair — jump scares, and an evil spirit (Marianne, played rather superbly by Mireille Herbstmeyer), but if you like horror, you are going to want to settle in for the show. But be warned: you may want to leave the light on after.
BY KARISHMA NANDKEOLYAR
4) Ginny and Georgia
Netflix | 3 Seasons | Drama
The mother-daughter duo that's left the internet divided is back, in a new season. And this time, they have a new set of problems to tackle, potentially trauma-inducing. But can they emerge unscathed? And, importantly, will it throw their lives into a tailspin all over again?
Watch this 10-episode season for its moving portrayal of relations between parents and kids, teenage angst and partners who go through rough patches. For a show that bills itself as drama, there's plenty of suspense and intrigue. Another reason to get you to launch the streaming app: A key question that's left unanswered, opening the door ajar for season 4.
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Khaleej Times
34 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
'Sholay' turns 50: Why India's most iconic film still captures our hearts
Te bullet hit Jai's right abdomen. Dragging himself towards a cover of huge boulders, he tries to be discreet as Gabbar's men prowl around. Soon Veeru, his bestie returns with more ammunition as decided intending to resume their fight against Gabbar Singh (the dacoit), but Jai aka Jaidev succumbs to his injuries. As death parts them, Jai whispers regrettably how he won't be able to keep his promise to narrate stories of their adventure to Veeru's unborn kids, instead he insists that Veeru must continue by describing the tales of their incomparable friendship. The conversation dips, camera pulls back from a close up to a mid-shot as Jai's motionless body lay with Veeru bawling. The background score plays the friendship anthem, Yeh dosti (translated: O our friendship) in a slow staccato. No sooner did my senses get attuned to this onscreen moment, I tear up inconsolably, as I complete watching Sholay one more time! And this was just last week. I wondered what made me so palpably emotional over a sequence which I knew by heart after all my generation (Gen X) has grown up watching Sholay. We waited out for that lone annual telecast of Sholay on Doordarshan (State Television), on a Sunday evening, often during winter months. Then came in home videos (1990), we again watched Sholay and then, YouTube. I even recall searching for Sholay on YouTube during its toddler month. Yet, an unexplainable emotion had gripped me through the three-hour-plus film. This unfettered attachment with Sholay is beyond reasoning, perhaps it's an emotional connect, a state of mind that goes beyond commonplace fanhood. Surely, Sholay is a collective state of mind that represents 'Desi' like no other. In the over century-long history of the Hindi film industry, only a handful of films have generated such hysteria and frenzy, transcending generations. Sholay is, thus, personal and 'collective' all at once. Back in 1975: When Sholay was Born Sholay was released on August 15, 1975 — a year that proved significant for Hindi cinema, marked by diverse storytelling and growing technical finesse. A cursory run through the list of films released would reveal a long list of heavyweight, memorable titles including Yash Chopra's Deewar (The Wall), Gulzar's Andhi (Dust Storm), Khushboo (Aroma), Mausam (The Season), Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Chupke Chupke (Quietly), and Mili, thrillers Farar (Fugitive), Zakhmee (The Injured), socially relevant Nishant (The Night's End), religious eulogy Jai Santoshi Ma, out of the box Zameer (Conscience) and more. But Sholay isn't simply memorable or heavyweight, it is iconic, a cult that has influenced Bollywood like no other. Deewar comes very close. Fascinatingly, Sholay had a rocky start. Its initial run at the Minerva Cinema (1,500 seats) in Bombay was perplexing. The first show of the day was slated at 9:30 am while the last was set for 2 am. Despite multiple shows, the crowd mostly remained indifferent in their responses, no applaud, no whistles! To make things worse, the reviews were harsh. None found any attribute of a 'masterpiece' a status that the film holds today. Indian Express had a header, 'Yet another Dacoit film with a Hollywood Touch', while the sharp readers' magazine Illustrated Weekly (August 31,1975) noted, 'Ramesh Sippy has introduced a feeling of verve and some of the action is gripping but no sooner you are out of theatre its gon[e]...' The review even dismissed Salim Javed's incredible script. As stress set in, word of mouth did its magic, the film picked up and the rest as the cliché says, is history. Sholay would run at the Minerva Cinema for next five years and at Plaza in Delhi for two years, setting myriad sweeping records like Platinum Jubilee (75 weeks in a single theatre). With the film's success, Polydor Company soon released its soundtrack album, including dialogues, which became such a hit that it prompted the release of a second vinyl. This time it was just the dialogues! The cover of the vinyl read, 'The Greatest Record Ever Made' and '1st Platinum Disc In the History of Indian Gramophone Record Industry'. Adding to its growing popularity, loudspeakers blared the songs and karari (a word frequently used in the movie, translates to 'crisp') dialogues — like ' Kitne aadmi the?' (How many were they?) — during festivals. The Right Chord Sholay was made in an era when 'content' wasn't accepted and declared as the ultimate showstopper unlike today. Yet Sholay's unfathomable popularity is rooted in its core story. Its heartbeat is ingrained in the story, the way it was written by legendary Salim–Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) who drew their craft inspiration from Western Spaghetti films like The Magnificent Seven, Five Man Army, Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone), North West Frontier (a British Production). Like the writers, the twenty something director Ramesh Sippy, also found his adrenaline in Hollywood, its immaculately designed action sequences, and overall restrain. Unknown to many, Sippy hired British action and stunt specialist Jim Allen and Jerry Crampton to scale up the action sequences in the project. Allen had already worked with Sergio Leone the maker of Once Upon a Time in the West while Crampton would later become a key crew in the action department in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi. With Salim–Javed on board, it was a perfect sync — resulting in a cutting-edge action film that captured desi sentiments: the battle between good and evil, the essence of human bonding between friends and romantic partners, and the dynamic between ruler and subjects (Thakur Baldev Singh and the villagers of Ramgarh). Over the years, in numerous interviews, Khan and Akhtar have shared how, in 1973, they narrated two ideas to the Sippys: a complete script titled Majboor (Compelled) and a four-line concept called Sholay, eventually partnering on the latter. Over the next few months, their genius resulted in the script of Sholay, routinely working from a small office at Khar in Bombay. Khan had also opened up on how elements of Sholay were directly related with his personal life including the names of the protagonists' Jai and Veeru (based on the names of his two college friends), while the world of police and jail was created from his father's experiences as a senior police officer. The brilliance of Salim-Javed lay in transforming all that was 'personal' into universal. By mid '80s, Sholay had attained its 'mythic' status, integrating in the urban lore of India; a creative work that was way larger than life. Fans continued to listen to its then ten-year-old sound album on cassette or on vinyl. Once the vinyl was gone, they looked out for the home videos. Every video parlour of 80s-90s, worth their salt, had Sholay in their collection. I still recall facing a fiery music from my mum for my obsession of playing the title track on loop, in our old HMV turntable called Siesta. Honestly, I was captivated by the film's title track, I still am, a timeless composition by none other than one of the all-time greatest of Bollywood music RD Burman. Millions were enamoured too. Four decades later, upon acquiring a smartphone, I combed the Internet for that very same title track and set it as my ringtone. As for dialogues, the ones that are big favourites in today's meme culture, and pop up regularly as virals were mostly uttered by the evil antihero character — the dacoit leader Gabbar Singh in the film, along with the humorous dialogues of the jailor (Asrani) and Surma Bhopali (Jagdeep).On the popularity chart, Gabbar remains unquestionably at the top, even as Sholay turns 50. In fact hardly after a year or two post the film's success, a Britannia's Glucose-D Biscuit ad came up with a catchline 'Gabbar Ki Asli Pasand' translated simply as 'Gabbar's choice'. The ad film part of the campaign was screened in theatres across the country. In reality, Khan was hesitant to do the ad because Gabbar represented 'evil' and hence gave away his whopping honorarium of Rs40,000 to charity. The catchline lives on though. Offscreen a kind hearted man, Amjad Khan emerged as a prized actor for antihero portrayals, while Amitabh Bacchan's 'angry young man' genre got its final wind on the sail with Sholay. Neighbourhoods saw gents' saloons popping with kitsch portraits of Jai and Veeru painted (hair style) many of them were named as Bombay Saloon. On a lighter note, 'best friends forever' now had a new name — Jai-Veeru. There was no looking back. Sholay-themed curios entered the market, opening up new potential for Bollywood ephemera. Alongside, a whole class of Bollywood collectors also emerged. Film posters stowed away in hole-in-the-wall shops of Chor Bazaar in Bombay found their way into drawing rooms, as more mass-market reprints of Sholay and Deewar posters were also churned out. I still sometimes brood over my unintentional giveaway of a planner (notebook) designed with production stills from Hindi cinema — one of the months featured a shot from the song sequence Yeh Dosti — to a younger cousin. At the turn of the millennium, BBC India attributed Sholay as 'Film of the Millenium' and three years later British Film Institute (BFI) listed it as 'Top Ten Indian Films' via a poll the institute had conducted. These are among the numerous laurels that the film had received globally over the years. Today, Sholay turns 50. No other Indian film has generated such enormous mania and conversation in the public realm — from casual gossip at hyperlocal gents' salons in small towns across the subcontinent to unending scholarship around the world, Sholay has been with us and within us. Had it been a human being, it would have been a friend — inseparable, like Jai and Veeru!
Khaleej Times
15 hours ago
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'Coolie' first day reactions: Fans celebrate Rajinikanth's return, critics divided
Rajinikanth's Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has finally hit the big screens — and the frenzy is very, very real. From fan clubs bursting crackers at Indian theatres to international audiences showing up in full force, Day 1 has been nothing short of a spectacle. X (formerly Twitter) is in overdrive, with reactions swinging wildly between glowing praise and pointed criticism. Early reviews are pouring in from every corner, and the verdict is mixed. Some are calling it a 'blockbuster', while others feel it 'could've been tighter". But one thing's for sure: it has sparked a cultural moment. According to reports online, Coolie became the first Tamil film to cross $2 million in premiere sales in North America, surpassing records set by Kabali, Leo, and Ponniyin Selvan. #Coolie - 4.5 â�â�â�â� lokesh kanagaraj and team delivered a blockbuster.ð��¥ 1st Half - Good mix of Mass & Loki's plot twistsð��¥ One of the best de-aging in Kollywood ð��¥ The mass scenes in the second half worked out big time.ð�� @rajinikanth sir sambavamð��¥ #CoolieReview — Swethaâ�¢ (@SwethaLittle_) August 14, 2025 On ground, the madness has been palpable. Outside Chennai's Rohini Theatre, fans lit fireworks, poured milk over Rajinikanth cut-outs, and broke into celebratory dances. Amidst all this, Aamir Khan's cameo is also emerging as a crowd favourite. 'Aamir Khan's cameo = Best of the year. Story could've been tighter, but Rajinikanth carries the whole show on his shoulders," a post on X stated. Nagarjuna, too, is being widely praised for his villainous role, called 'the backbone of the film'. Just Came from coolie show Here my review -Action - choppy but decent -Screenplay - simple and engaging. -Acting - nothing new all are decent. -Movie pickup after 40 min and end credit is mind-blowing ( â��cameo). Rating - 3.5/5ð��¥ð��¥ #cooliereview #coolie — Spike (@uselessfellow1k) August 13, 2025 Another account posted, 'Rajinikanth is BACK — bloodier, darker & deadlier than ever! Lokesh Kanagaraj delivers a violent mass masterpiece with soul… surprise LCU twist!' But not everyone's sold. 'Extreme violence suffocates. Something didn't blend with multistars. My #cooliereview 2.5/5 — sorry Thalaiva," stated a contrasting view on X. Despite the mixed reviews, the box office has been on fire. And whether we loved it or expected more, we're definitely talking about it.
Khaleej Times
16 hours ago
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'War 2' Review: Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR shine in a very stylish, very ludicrous thriller
Welcome to yet another edition of the YRF 'Spy Universe'. This time it's the much-hyped sequel of the 2019 Hrithik Roshan-Tiger Shroff starrer War with Roshan being joined by another superstar, Tollywood's Jr NTR. Now, the problem with Bollywood franchises, universes and galaxies is that the template is already set. All the filmmaker needs to do is play inky-pinky-ponky, replace hero A with hero B and add new songs. The rest remain the same — India-hating villains, bizarre VFX-dominated action set pieces in Europe and the UAE, female leads in bikinis, snazzy dance numbers and oodles of desh bhakti. Voila! The 'new' spy film is ready. In fact, the above paragraph pretty much sums up War 2. The 2.50 hour long Ayan Mukerji-directed slog begins with a heavy duty fight scene set allegedly in Japan (though it looks like some strange gray wonderland from a comic book on screen) where rogue spy Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) drops and singlehandedly demolishes a whole bunch of Japanese mafia, their boss and a CGI wolf. This entire episode has no relevance to the rest of the film save for the fact that it was a task to land Kabir his next assignment — do the bidding of a mysterious cartel named Kali whose members appear in hologram avatars and give him instructions on what or who to kill next. Kali is a motley group comprising powerbrokers from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Russia and Myanmar whose aim is to destabilise nations, bring regime changes and control power structures and the economy. Their next target: India. Kabir must first, albeit reluctantly, kill his mentor, Col. Luthra (Ashutosh Rana), to earn Kali's trust. However, the Indian security forces catch wind of his plans and assemble a team to stop him. Enter hero number two: Vikram Chelapthy (Jr NTR), a Special Units Officer, presented like a demi-god who can destroy a hardened bunch of Somalian terrorists in high seas barehanded with the loud score of Shaitan blaring in the background. Giving him company in this mission is Wing Commander Kavya Luthra (Kiara Advani) and the new RAW chief, Vikrant Kaul (Anil Kapoor). To further spice up the pot, Kavya happens to be Col. Luthra's daughter and Kabir's ex. Along the way, the story packs in a betrayal by a key character, a childhood connection between the two leads, a love story, an assassination attempt, double-crossing agents and callbacks to characters from the first War. All of which are glued together by action set pieces that go from riveting to ridiculous. Let's admit it — when we book tickets for such films, we're not expecting intricate twists, complex geopolitics or high-stakes espionage. We go in ready to suspend disbelief in exchange for non-stop entertainment, edge-of-the-seat thrills and a splash of glamour. Take the Mission Impossible series: we know it's not humanly possible to scale the Burj Khalifa, cling to a speeding plane, leap off a cliff on a motorbike or sprawl like a spider to retrieve a disk. Yet we cheer Ethan Hunt through every superhuman feat because the on-screen spectacle draws us in. Of course, the charm of the stars play a major role in evoking those emotions. On that front at least, YRF isn't found wanting. Be it Tiger, Pathan, Kabir, Jim, Zoya or Rubai, there are enough charismatic and good-looking actors in this kingdom that make us happily buy into the fantasy no matter how over-the-top the stunts and how implausible, the plot. And that's pretty much War 2's intention: pummell the viewer's senses with action, style, more action and more style. Both Hrithik and Jr NTR. are glorious. I lost count of the number of times Kabir and Vikram walked in slo-mo but they make for great eye-candy so no complaints! Their much-talked about dance sequence is terribly placed and would have made for better viewing in the end credits but the duo's glib moves make it impossible to take your eyes off the screen. Alas, even the most gorgeous looking stars shooting and kicking their way to glory in stunning locations, need a script that makes sense. And a film requires a narrative that has balance. Unfortunately, writers Sridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala (the latter has also written the dialogue) have missed this memo. War 2's problem is that of excess. There's only so much style and so many extreme close-ups of the two men a viewer can take before the novelty wears off. The treatment lacks freshness and every element gives a sense of deja vu. Be it the color palette or the sets or the locations, they seem to be a leftover from Pathan or the Tiger series - perhaps the production designer got a buy-one-get-three offer to set the movies in! The story may hop from Japan to Somalia to Delhi to Spain to the UAE to Italy to Mumbai to Yemen to Switzerland but the shifts are jarring and not seamless. On the technical side, War 2's biggest failing is the lack of imagination in action choreography with the overuse of VFX and green screen visuals robbing it of any authenticity- a huge no-no for a film whose USP should be its thrills. As it is, the action looks like a cut-copy-paste of previous YRF spy films as well as Hollywood blockbusters. We have Kabir and Vikram fighting each other on a high-speed train, a speeding yacht race, a Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning kind of car chase in Europe, an underground parking lot fight and a hand-to-hand combat in a glacier. It's as if the writers thought out the action set pieces first and then wrote a story around it. In the process, the main conflict point — the mysterious Kali cartel — is dealt with in such a hurry that it's almost laughable. The film tries to be too much. A tale of friendship gone wrong, a saga of patriotism, a tribute to Indian spies, a broken love story and the murky world of international politics. Too many elements have not spoilt the soup entirely but they certainly made it bland. Thankfully, the combination of Hrithik and Jr NTR. keeps you invested though their chemistry is not enough to save the gooey mess. The rest of the cast, be it Anil Kapoor or Kiara Advani, play their parts adequately but that's about it. The movie is long by at least 30 minutes but wait for the end credits: a new character is introduced, arguably belonging to a new planet in this universe. Clearly, the War is getting prolonged though a bit of a ceasefire wouldn't really harm at this point.
