Latest news with #JioHotsar
Scroll.in
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
‘Kull' review: A soggy soap opera about rowdy royals
In a typical dialogue exchange in Kull, a woman asks her sister, when was the last time we had a cup of tea in peace? Never, as it turns out – seconds later, the siblings are behaving like drunken men in a pub who feel compelled to brawl without quite knowing why. Anything that could go downhill rapidly does in Kull The Legacy of the Raisingghs, to give the show its full fortune-baiting title. Created by Ektaa Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor and directed by Sahir Raza, the Hindi-language series follows a bunch of rowdy royals who are impossible to root for or even comprehend. The JioHotsar show is set in the fictitious state of Bilkaner, with any resemblance to Rajasthan being entirely coincidental. Although Bilkaner has an elected chief minister, Jograj (Rohit Tiwari), the seat of power is the Raisinggh palace – which is on the verge of being leased to a hotel group because of massive debts. The business deal pits the siblings Indrani (Nimrat Kaur), Kavya (Ridhi Dogra), Abhimanyu (Amol Parashar) and Brij (Gaurav Arora), their father's illegitimate son, against each other. A murder or two worsen the situation. Indrani, who is married to the chief minister's son Vikram (Suhaas Ahuja), tries to play peacekeeper but is compromised by her irrational love for the cocaine-snorting, degenerate Abhimanyu. Brij is blindly loyal to the family despite being treated like a handyman. Kavya badly wants the hotel deal to go through. She has even conveniently recruited her boyfriend Kabir (Arslan Goni) to shoot a documentary about the family. Video evidence is readily available to reveal the killer's identity. But the series is just about getting started. The White Lotus it isn't, nor is it Succession. Based on a story by Althea Kaushal and Tarana Raja and written by Kaushal, Kull doesn't supply the narrative building blocks or the moments of relief that might justify eight episodes of scrimmage. Mostly irredeemable feudals carry on squabbling, for no apparent reason than to ensure melodrama in every other scene. Matters get comical when a preening Siddharth Malhotra lookalike cop turns up to investigate the murder, and then farcical when chief minister Jograj insists on running his cabinet from the innards of the palace. It's time to stand with the family rather than running the state, Jograj declares. Poor Bilkaner. We see little of it, which is probably just as well. Much of the show takes place inside the palace and on sets, where the Raisinggh spawn scheme and scream endlessly and relentlessly. At least three cast members take the proceedings seriously enough to give the royal rumpus a semblance of purpose. Nimrat Kaur, Ridhi Dogra and Amol Parashar behave as though they are in a serious drama about faulty parenting and misjudged entitlement, rather than a soggy soap opera. Dogra's Kavya has moments worthy of redemption, although her instinct to use her clout in a crisis undermines her supposed maturity. Nimrat Kaur valiantly plays the impeccably dressed Indrani who is always in danger of coming apart at the seams. Amol Parashar creates a bit of room to feel something for the odious Abhimanyu – a kind of perverse identification, if not empathy. The actors can't save Kull from imploding, but they do try their best. Play
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The White Lotus star Sam Nivola's mom, actor Emily Mortimer reacts to his ‘bizarre' incest scene
The latest season of the HBO series The White Lotus received mixed reviews. Now, weeks after the show concluded, Sam Nivola's mother, actor Emily Mortimer, has shared her views on the much-talked-about intimate scene featuring her son. In an interview with The Times, she called the scene bizarre and spoke about her son's newfound fame. (Also Read: The White Lotus 3 ending explained: Who dies in the finale and will there be a season 4?) Emily discussed her son Sam's intimate scene in White Lotus Season 3 and said, 'It's so crazy, all of it. It wasn't particularly crazier than having my boy go off to Thailand for so long. Of course it was a bit bizarre, but being married to an actor, we've all had to watch each other do strange things. And I had been warned — although Sam said that the worst bit was the first ten minutes, but they kept flashing back. So I'd relaxed and then it wasn't true at all.' For the uninitiated, Sam played the role of Lochlan Ratliff, the youngest member of a wealthy yet troubled family. The scene in question featured Sam's character in a drug-fuelled intimate encounter with the girlfriend of a criminal kingpin and his character's own brother (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger's son, Patrick). The scene became one of the season's most talked-about moments. She also commented on her son's newfound fame, saying, 'He just sort of owns it, which isn't thanks to either of us. I'm biased because I'm his mum, but he doesn't need any guidance.' The HBO series featured an ensemble cast including Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Lalisa Manobal, Sam Nivola, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aimee Lou Wood, Sam Rockwell, Scott Glenn, and Natasha Rothwell, among others. The story follows the lives of the staff and wealthy guests at a wellness resort in Thailand. The season received mostly positive reviews from critics, although many criticised the slow pacing and found the final episode disappointing. The show is available to watch for Indian viewers on JioHotsar. Emily Mortimer began her acting career in stage productions and later transitioned to film and television. She gained critical acclaim for her role in the movie Lovely & Amazing, earning the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. Some of her critically acclaimed work includes films such as Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl, Shutter Island, Mary Poppins Returns, and more. She has also appeared in several television shows and is popularly known for her role as MacKenzie McHale in HBO's The Newsroom. In 2021, she wrote and directed the miniseries The Pursuit of Love, which earned her a BAFTA nomination. Recently, Emily replaced Sally Hawkins,who had played Mrs Brown in the previous Paddington films, in the live-action animated adventure comedy Paddington in Peru.
