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“This movie, labeled as comedy, is in fact the tragedy of Art.” When the globally acclaimed author Paulo Coelho tweets this about a Hindi-language movie, you watch it. Not that the movie wasn’t on my list already; just that Paulo’s May 6 tweet about “Kaamyaab” made me pause my science fiction series and watch it immediately. And I’m so glad I did, as I can now recommend it to everyone I know with equal conviction.

Kaamyaab is the story of Sudheer (Sanjay Mishra), a retired Bollywood actor who lives an obscure, lonely life until one day he finds out that he has acted in 499 films. He then gets a sudden urge to round off the figure by acting in his 500^th. Battling his past demons, the veteran actor decides to come out of hiding and find work again.

But coming out of retirement is not easy. First, he first has to convince his daughter, as her validation matters much to him. Then there is yet another hurdle: The reason he had quit acting was a ‘shameful incident’ that had ruined his reputation.

Sudheer also has to deal with the vast evolution in the Hindi film industry. He is no longer as well known and even when people recognize him, they do so by the characters he’s played, and not as himself. And it’s the ultimate ignominy for the seasoned actor to have to audition again. Regardless, Sudheer is determined to take to the screen for the 500^th time.

Directed by Hardik Mehta and co-written with him by Radhika Anand, Kamyaab uses Sudheer to tell a representational tale of hundreds of actors in Indian cinema who leave memorable trails through their supporting/character roles. From smaller roles like the doctor who announces the death of his patient outside an ER, the policeman who always arrives late, the nagging neighbor in the ‘heroine’s life, to more impactful roles like the village chief who expels the ‘hero’s’ family from the village, to the auntie who conspires to defame her daughter-in-law— we’ve seen supporting actors in every conceivable role, and most of the times, we take their presence for granted. 

But would “Sholay” (1975) have the same legacy without Sambha (Mac Mohan) and Kaalia (Viju Khote)? The answer is a resounding ‘No!’ The “side-actors” are like asafetida in mango pickle. They’re not among the main ingredients but their presence adds a distinct flavor to the mix.

And who better to play one of them than the quintessential side-actor man himself. An alumnus of the coveted National School of Drama, Sanjay Mishra’s presence in Bollywood has evolved from doing the smallest of roles to leading feature length productions.

From the hilarious Raghunandandas Govardhandas Vakawale aka RGV in “All the Best” (2009) to the lovable skeptic Babuji in “Ankhon Dekhi” (2014), the actor’s versatility has been boundless in all these years, and he continues building an impeccable legacy for himself through Kaamyaab.

Sanjay encapsulates Sudheer’s layered persona so convincingly that we partly feel the movie is really based on his life. Sanjay plays an actor who has a separate facade for the outside world and when he is alone— without letting the audience have the slightest inkling of how he is in private.

Well, it’s not all that fictional as well, as the film highlights many unseen realities of cinema. It shows how fame and popularity are temporary and the struggle to be seen, heard and remain relevant is always there—even among established artists. As the film progresses with Sudheer at the helm of things, many Bollywood stereotypes are broken and the audience gets a glimpse of behind-the-scenes of filmmaking.

What also makes Kaamyaab enjoyable is its list of yesteryear actors like Avtar Gill, Manmauji, Anil Nagrath, Guddi Maruti, Liliput, Birbal and Viju Khote—all of whom play themselves. Most of them now retired, this is probably the first time these senior artists from different generations find themselves together on the same screen.

Who should watch it?

Anyone who calls themselves a fan of Bollywood will have no right to the title till they watch the film. That’s how compelling Kaamyaab is. It celebrates the successful life and times of supporting actors in Indian cinema and takes you back in time while you thoroughly enjoy the roller-coaster ride.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Drama

Actors: Sanjay Mishra, Avtar Gill, Deepak Dobriyal

Director: Hardik Mehta

Run time: 1hr 49mins

Just when you feel like you’ve exhausted all resources on Netflix and there’s probably nothing interesting to watch any more, you come across films like “Oththa Seruppu Size 7” that completely bowl you over. The Tamil-language thriller released in September 2019 is slowly on its way to becoming a cult classic.

Written, directed, produced, and acted by one man—R Parthiepan—Oththa Seruppu is a movie that challenges regular norms of filmmaking and completely banks on the ingenuity of its writers and makers. With over three decades of experience as actor, director, producer and writer in Tamil cinema, R Parthiepan gives his career-best in the form of Oththa Seruppu under his film production and distribution company Bioscope Film Framers.

Reviewing this film will not be possible without revealing some of its surprise elements. But don't worry: we give out only the bare minimum. The film has only one actor—R Parthiepan as Masilamani—and is shot almost entirely in one room. There are a couple of voiceovers to help carry the plot but it is only R Parthiepan who appears onscreen for the film’s 1hr 45mins length. A single actor in a singe room holds the audience together throughout, making it one of the most interesting movies on Netflix.

The film starts with Masilmani, a middle-aged security guard at a gentlemen’s club, being held on the suspicion of a murder and who is being interrogated by the police. The interrogation room in which Masilmani appears in the first scene is the only location the film’s shot in. The interrogation begins without physical violence as Masilmani has already appealed to the Human Rights Commission.

Masilmani then starts by admitting to a single murder conducted in cold blood with a brutal modus operandi. But just when the police officers interrogating him (only in voice overs) think they’ve closed the case, he leaks out a mystery that forces them to dive deeper. What begins as a despondent confession of a common man gradually turns into a sordid narration of a serial killer. (His modus operandi is also similar to a high profile murder from a few years ago where the killer had left a “single slipper of size 7” at the scene.) The interrogating officers, including the deputy commissioner of police, get completely thrown off by Masilmani’s narratives and are forced to seek help of psychiatrists.

Oththa Seruppu manages to draw undivided attention of the audience within the first few scenes, and as the plot thickens and mysteries unfold, you are guaranteed to be mesmerized. R Parthiepan as Masilmani, the only visible character in the film, has all eyes on him, and certainly deserves the attention. As a father of a dying kid and husband to a cheating wife, Masilmani’s role as a common man turned cold-blooded murderer engenders empathy from the audience, even as they don’t completely trust him till the very end. His character is a dichotomy between guileless and treacherous, lucid and deranged.

Clever writing and equally edgy acting makes Oththa Seruppu an absorbing thriller despite its limited star cast, single location, and skimpy budget. R Parthiepan’s matchless acting, direction and writing are supported by Ramji’s cinematography. Working in a small room, Ramji’s camera angles to capture Masilmani’s monologues are sharp, innovative, and stimulating. It’s almost like we’re in the room watching Masilmani weave one story after another, also distracting us with his animated body language.

The messaging in Oththa Seruppu is subtle yet obvious. It delves on the idea of corruptibility of money, what happens to common people when their trust is broken, and the basic segregation between the haves and have-nots.

Who should watch it?

Oththa Seruppu Size 7 is a must-watch for any movie buff. We can’t exaggerate R Parthiepan’s role as an actor and filmmaker enough. He has created something that the entire Indian film industry should be proud of. And in doing so, he has presented a film that is enjoyable to just about everyone. Oththa Seruppu is thrilling, exciting, moving, and darkly humorous. A complete package, if you will.

Oththa Seruppu Size 7

Rating: 4 stars

Director: R Parthiepan

Actor: R Parthiepan

Run time: 1hr 45mins

“More than a musician, I think it will be more suitable to call me a musical entertainer,” says 20-years-old Oasis Thapa. To be a musician, he believes, a person has to have adequate theoretical knowledge, which he lacks. “I just know the basics and a little bit of everything,” he says.

Oasis represents a new breed of singer/songwriters in Nepal who’re independently finding their audience through digital platforms. These young musicians who write, record and sometimes even produce their own music, are the nails in the coffin of old-school music companies/record labels that are now on the verge of extinction.

With songs like “Aparichit Bhaavana”, “Juni Vari Lai”, and “Tibra Chahana” gaining in popularity on digital platform, mostly among youngsters, Oasis’ tryst with music began as a teenager almost seven years ago. He took up music just to get some attention at school but as time passed, he started exploring various genres more deeply and was completely mesmerized by what he found.

At the time, the ‘internet talents’ were coming alive in Nepal, and with no serious interest in any other field, Oasis managed to persuade his father to get him a guitar. He started learning the instrument through YouTube and Google.

Facebook would be the first platform for his music in a short while. Since ‘break-up’ songs were really popular at that time, Oasis posted his song called “An Apology to My Ex” on Facebook. The song with an English title was in Nepali. “I was expecting instant fame and appreciation, but it got just 37 likes, and one comment with no words but just two middle-finger emojis,” he recalls. “I must say, I was flabbergasted!”

But that did not deter Oasis. He continued to write, record and release his music, inspired by Rahul Rai from Tribal Rain, Ishan Raj Onta from Elements, and Yabesh Thapa, among others.

The theme for his music is generally sad and melancholic. “I don’t know why but I feel at ease writing sad songs,” he says. “It can be about loss, remorse, break-up and depression. I do write happy songs as well, but with them I am not confident about the quality.”

The self-taught singer/songwriter, who would definitely like to learn music formally if he gets the chance, also records his own materials with whatever equipment he has. As studios are expensive and he could not afford to hire them, Oasis started messing around with recording software and technologies at home.

He taught himself to the point when he was confident enough to produce his own songs, but he had no equipment at the time, not even the basic microphones and audio processors. “So I just recorded the audio with my phone,” he says. “A bunch of trial and errors to get the sound I wanted, and post-production was such a pain. But the job got done.” Oasis still uses the same methods to produce his music.

Oasis continues his musical exploration, writing new songs and producing them from his home. He has already gained a niche but loyal following and it is only a matter of time that he becomes a household name in the country.

A wannabe standup comedian with serious stage fright and who stammers when nervous suddenly finds an elixir to his problems—killing a human being. Following the accidental murder of his boss/mentor Gulati (Manoj Pahwa) at his hands at the backstage of an event, the nervous Hasmukh (Vir Das) takes the stage, just to discover that he now has the ability to perform a hilarious standup skit without any hesitation. 

This starts a string of live stage performances for Hasmukh, arranged by his manager Jimmy (Ranvir Shorey)—his literal partner in crime. The artist-manager duo commits murder after murder just to get Hasmukh to the stage, and as success starts coming, so do suspicion and law. 

Co-created and written by producer/director/screenwriter Nikkhil Advani and actor/standup comedian Vir Das, Hasmukh is an Indian mini-series that premiered on Netflix in mid-April and quickly became the talk of the virtual town. Nikhil Gonsalves directs the 10-episode series, each episode about 30-minutes long. It means the Season 1 can be binged-watched within five hours, which is not nearly long in the current situation, and this is not the only woe for Hasmukh.

Despite featuring a talented team of actors and producers, Hasmukh is a troubled production. Vir, even with his vast experience as a standup comedian, fails to embody the character. Hasmukh, an orphan, is supposedly a timid small-towner whose ambition of becoming a famous standup comedian never really takes off under a dominating boss and an oppressive uncle. He manages to murder both of them—the former unintentionally and the latter deliberately—but the audience cannot feel the intensity of a would-be-serial killer in his character. Vir is not convincing enough in his dual murderer-performer roles. 

Seasoned actor Ranvir Shorey seems to have a similar problem. Having starred in multiple comedy movies under big banners as well as independent production houses, but is way under his prime in Hasmukh. As Jimmy, a greedy artist manager who quickly switches to managing Hasmukh as soon as he finds out about Gulati’s death, and then also participates in the murders Hasmukh commits, Ranvir struggles to find the rhythm throughout the series. There are moments when he shines in his character and outperforms Vir, but given his experience and reputation, overall, Ranvir’s Jimmy is sub-par. 

Even with seasoned actors like Raza Murad and Ravi Kishan playing significant roles in the series, their presence does not spice up the screenplay. Maybe the average screenplay is why Hasmukh is an average production. A screenplay that is not able to establish the ferocity of a serial killer is definitely a major problem. The writers seem to be so split in giving Hasmukh multiple personas that he cannot embody. 

And since the story of Hasmukh does not end with the first season (what a bummer), we will now have to wait for the second season to find what happens in the comedian-cum-serial killer’s life.

Who should watch it?

In the end, we also realize that we might be judging Hasmukh a bit too harshly. Over a month of continuously binging on highly rated movies and series has probably raised our standards and spoilt our tolerance. All biases aside, Hasmukh is definitely a watchable series and better than most movies we reviewed in the first quarter of 2020. Anyone who’s forced to stay indoors due to the lockdown and has Netflix can watch it. 

Hasmukh

Rating: 3 stars

Actors: Vir Das, Ranvir Shorey, Ravi Kishan

Director: Nikhil Gonsalves

Run time: 5hr (approx.)

The corny-sounding Telugu movie “World Famous Lover” has an attractive starcast with Vijay Deverakonda (Gowtham/Seenayaa), Raashi Khanna (Yamini), Aishwarya Rajesh (Suvarna), and Chatherine Tresa (Smitha) in lead roles. Written and directed by Kranthi Madhav, World Famous Lover is a combination of four different love stories that gel into a single story of love, trust, and sacrifices. Released in theaters in February, the film recently popped up on Netflix with subtitles for a wider range of audience, which is certainly good news for Nepal’s South Indian movie fans.

The film starts with the story of live-in couple Gowtham and Yamini. Gowtham is a stay-at-home aspiring writer who has been unable to write anything for a year. His mental block and frustrations surrounding it weaken his relationship with Yamini, who is the sole breadwinner of the house. Her expectations from her partner have certainly not been met. Gowtham is not only nonchalant towards his work, but also indifferent to her wants and feelings.

Things change when Yamini finally decides to leave Gowtham. Hurt by the Yamini’s departure, Gowtham decides he needs to force his way past his writer’s block and prove his worth. This is when the film begins to unfold in flashbacks and imaginary sequences. Gowtham’s first story has himself as the main character in the form of Seenaya, a middle class working man who’s married to Suvarna. Seenaya, also the union leader of the factory he is working in, gets romantically involved with his boss Smitha. When Suvarna finds about the affair, she is distraught but decides not to confront him till the very end.

At the end of the Seenaya-Suvarna story, Gowtham is shown as a young and highly paid executive living and working in Paris. There, Gowtham meets Iza (Izabelle Leite), an international pilot acquainted with the Telegu language and Indian culture. They quickly fall in love before their love story is cut short by a tragedy.

As the stories Gowtham is writing unfold in visual form, his own story with Yamini is told in flashbacks. The moments when Gowtham first saw Yamini, their courtship, their acceptance of each other’s love, their start of the live-in relationship, all are shown in flashbacks to give the audience an insight into the now estranged couple’s life.

Not all stories in the film are perfect. Nor are the endings to all love stories happy for the characters but that does not seem to be the film’s motive. Love is looked at from a wider perspective with a message that compromises and sacrifices are essential in sustaining it.

Actor Vijay Deverakonda retains his rustic look and the angry demeanor from the blockbuster “Arjun Reddy” (2017). Following Arjun Reddy’s success, there has been no looking back for the actor who has impressed fans and critics alike with his good looks and effortless acting. After delivering a string of back-to-back hits, Vijay takes the screen in multiple roles in this film. From a frustrated writer to a devastated lover; from a young college graduate to a small-town factory worker; to a suave professional in Paris—Vijay performs all his roles with conviction and compliments each of his opposite actors who are as adept in their respective roles.

The only problem with the movie is its 2h 34min run time, which is not supported by the screenplay. Despite the story having enough girth to make for a compelling love drama, the screenplay feels painfully slow and certain scenes redundant. There are also attempts at humor that fail to engage the audience.

Who should watch it?

As we have the power to skip scenes we don’t like on Netflix, World Famous Lover is an enjoyable love story. It is one of those South Indian movies that deviate from the feisty and stereotypical mainstream cinema to present a serious, lifelike narrative. Definitely a ‘can watch’ during the lockdown.

Rating: 3 stars

Genre: Romance/Drama

Length: 2h 34min

Director: Kranthi Madhav

Actors: Vijay Deverakonda, Raashi Khanna, Aishwarya Rajesh

Released on March 20 this year, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” is probably the most talked about mini-series on Netflix right now, even in Nepal. The crime-based documentary can compete against the best fictional series and holds so much grit that the 5h 17min runtime (divided into 8 episodes) is as enjoyable as watching an hour and a half-long action movie.

Tiger King is essentially about the life of Joe Exotic—owner of the Oklahoma based G.W. Zoo, who breeds, raises, and trades in big cats—and his arch-nemesis Carole Baskin, an animal activist and owner of Big Cat Rescue. There are colorful casts of real-life characters on both the sides—including drug dealers, conmen, cult leaders, and ex-convicts. The war between them over whether big cats can be kept as pets starts with harmless banters, and culminates in a murder-for-hire plot.

Joe Exotic, after whom the documentary series is named, is a character deserving of the title of Tiger King. Born Joseph Allen Schreibvogel, who then changed his name to Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, Joe Exotic is a charismatic figure who runs his roadside zoo with a team of renegades like convicted felons and drug abusers. He thinks he is helping them fit into the society. And the under-paid, over-worked staff are more than happy to raise hundreds of exotic animals like tigers, ligers, lions, leopards, and alligators, to name a few.

These animals are then smuggled across the country and even cross-border to be sold to private zoo owners and wealthy collectors. Joe also used to organize traveling shows across the country, displaying exotic animals and giving people photo ops with them for money.

Carole Baskin, on the other hand, runs a volunteer organization that rescues the animals owned by private zoos, which she claims abuse the animals and treat them inhumanely. Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue has a huge team of activists who not only raise awareness and stage protests against animal breeding, but also spy on the activities of animal breeders to gather evidence of abuse.

Shot over five years by directors Rebecca Chaiklin and Eric Goode, Tiger King gives the audience a glimpse into the lives of these two main characters and also a host of equally interesting supporting ones who playing themselves—characters like (gay) Joe’s husbands John Finlay and Dillion Passage; Bhagavan Antle, the owner of the Myrtle Beach Safari; Jeff Lowe, businessman and Joe’s partner who runs him out of the business; Howard Baskin, Carole’s husband and co-owner of the Big Cat Rescue; among others.

What makes Tiger King more interesting than your regular documentary series is that the filmmakers have spent real time with the characters and made them comfortable enough to spill their worst beans. With real life footages that give insights into the lives of the principle characters, the documentary proves that truth can be stranger than fiction. It does not judge the characters, but leaves it up to the audience to decide.

Joe—a king in his own world who is confident enough to run for the President of the United States in 2016, and for the Governor of Oklahoma in 2018 representing the Libertarian party—is a gun-wielding, mullet-bearing, rough-mouthed, arrogant and shrewd businessman.

At the opposite extreme is Carole, the savior of the big cats, who is gentle, friendly and calm on the outside. But Joe and the family suspect foul play behind the disappearance of Carole’s deceased husband Don Lewis. Carole inherits millions after Don is pronounced legally dead in 2002 when he fails to turn up for over five years, raising suspicions. So, ultimately, it is again the audience that gets to apportion blame.

Who should watch it?

With controversies and talks of lawsuits already haunting the documentary makers as well as Netflix, anyone interested in the docu-series should definitely do a marathon-run of Tiger King. It might vanish anytime. Also, big cat lovers will also enjoy the mini-series that documents the lives of these exotic animals in captivity.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Run time: 5h 17 min (8 episodes)

Director: Rebecca Chaiklin, Eric Goode

Actors: Joe Exotic, Carole Baskins, John Finlay

“There’s a difference between dreams and delusions,” is the underlying message of the lighthearted family drama/comedy “Maska”—cleverly puts across. While most Indian and Nepali films have been telling us that ardently chasing one’s dreams ensures success, Maska dispels the disillusion of the entire cosmos working together to fulfill one’s dream (pun intended). Not all dreams are worth chasing. Sometimes, cultivating the skills you already have is better than chasing a distant dream.

Maska’s storytelling is grounded and the plot somewhat predictable. In fact, Maska is a film in which predictability makes it more interesting as the audience get a chance to identify with Rumi Irani (Prit Kamani), son of Rustom Irani (Javed Jaffrey), the sole heir to the historic Cafe Rustom established in 1920 by his great-grandfather. While Rumi’s mother Diana (Manisha Koirala) wants him to take charge of the iconic café, which has a loyal following among patrons, Rumi has other ideas. He wants to be a film star and is taking acting classes and auditioning for roles. The mother-son clash when their dreams collide and a drastic step Rumi takes to fulfill his dream is the story of Maska.

The low-budget, independent film not only captures the nuances of a mother-son relation but also gives space to real life history of the famous Irani Cafes in Mumbai, which hold a special place in the history of the place. Opened by Zoroastrian Iranians who came to British India in the 20^th century when they were fleeing Islamic persecution in West and Central Asia, the cafes played a big role in the popularization of Iranian cuisines in Mumbai. The fares they serve mostly consisted of Irani tea, biscuits, samosas and the famous bun maska (bun and cream) from which the film gets its name.

So with the story of the mother-son conflict and ‘dreams and delusions’ as the front, Maska—written and directed by Neeraj Udhwani—is a coming-of-age tale that also celebrates posterity, heritage, legacy and antiquity, in this rapidly changing world.

Rumi’s mother Diana, who took over the cafe after her husband’s untimely demise, lives with his fond memories. She has preserved her husband’s apparels and accessories and hands them over to her son on his birthdays.

Diana also doesn’t want to change anything in the restaurant. She even repairs the almost 100-year-old furniture to preserve the original essence of the place. Also, the cafe is tied to the lives and memories of many of its patrons, some of whom have been visiting for decades. Rumi’s dilemma is between continuing with his father’s legacy or pursuing his dream. A mama’s boy who has already taken the huge step of moving in with his non-Farsi girlfriend Mallika Chopra (Nikita Dutta), Rumi is also split in matters of the heart when his neighbor Persis Mistry (Shirley Setia) starts getting intimate with him.

On the acting front, our very own heartthrob Manisha Koirala makes yet another resounding comeback. As a Farsi single mother, Manisha weaves her charisma into the role and has us almost believing she is one of the Zoroastrian Iranian women from the Ferozshah Baag Colony in Colaba, Mumbai. Whatever little awkwardness she has in diction while switching between Farsi, Hindi and English, she makes up with her high energy and kindred spirit.

Javed Jaffrey, whose voice narrates the film as Rustom and who also appears in the imagination of his son Rumi, adds humor to the film with his impeccable comic timing. Although not famous for playing lead roles in Bollywood, Javed has honed his skills for decades and in his role as Rustom Irani he proves why he has thrived in the industry for so long.

Newcomer Prit Kamani doesn’t fall behind his veteran co-actors either. As a young and confused man on the verge of a personal rebellion, Prit is both convincing and entertaining.

Who should watch it?

Despite the film being mostly pleasant, the 1hr 51mins runtime feels a bit stretched. The film’s subject perhaps asked for a shorter script. Nonetheless, Maska is definitely a family entertainer and if you don’t mind having to read the subtitles (because some Farsi words might be completely new to you), you will definitely enjoy the Netflix special.

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Actors: Manisha Koirala, Prit Kamani, Javed Jaffrey

Director: Neeraj Udhwani

Run time: 1hr 51mins

Rating: 3.5 stars

What will a housewife do when the lover she’s having sex with suddenly dies in bed—at her home? How will a teenage boy react when he finds out in front of a group of friends that his mother is starring in a local porn film? How will a 7-year-old boy eagerly awaiting his father’s arrival (and whom he has never seen) respond when his father appears in front of the family as a transgender woman? How can a group of teens replace a television they broke by accident, to save their friend from his strict father’s wrath?

The answers to these stimulating questions are linked in the Tamil-language thriller “Super Deluxe”—co-written, co-produced and directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja. With multiple stars woven together in a compelling storyline covering four different narratives, Super Deluxe is harsh, revolting, and thought provoking. “I should have just jerked off that night,” a father says to his teenage son in this film that subtly challenges social and religious norms with its harsh and brutally honest approach.

For a South Indian cinema, Super Deluxe feels like its made in a parallel universe with a cast born to play their respective roles. But in fact it takes its cast from mainstream South Indian cinema known for its hyper-exaggerated dramatics and throat-choking masala. Samantha Akkineni breaks her stereotypical good-girl image to play the cheating housewife Vaembu, opposite Fahadh Faasil as her husband Mugil. For someone who has sincerely followed South Indian films, it comes as a great surprise that Samantha agrees to play an impulsive cheating woman—and agree to a steamy bed scene.

But this is not the only stereotype Super Deluxe breaks. The biggest shock comes from Vijay Sethupathi as Shilpa (changed from Manickam), a transgender woman who returns home to her wife and son after disappearing for seven years. Vijay—a macho man of South Indian cinema (think Sunny Deol)—has starred in multiple blockbusters as the ‘hero’ who beats up a dozen goons without getting a scratch himself. He now plays a middle-aged, out of shape, balding transgender woman, who is even sexually molested. Unsurprising though is his performance, for which he is already getting national and international critical acclaims.

Child actor Ashwanth Ashokkumar playing Shilpa’s son Rasukutty is another gem in the film. The actor aptly portrays a young boy longing for his father’s presence. So innocent and untouched by social indoctrination he is that he is ready to accept his father even as a woman. The father-son pair of Manickam/Shilpa and Rasukutty is the highlight of the film and their story speaks of the social stigma attached to sexual and gender preferences in the society and the vulnerability of people who express themselves differently. “Live exactly how the world wants you to. Don’t think originally. Don’t be unique,” Shilpa tells Rasukutty in a scene that compels one to think about how the society restricts one’s individuality and makes ‘aliens’ out of people who dare to behave differently.

Along with a stellar acting performance by the entire cast, the screenplay, direction, and cinematography are extraordinary too. Writer/director Kumararaja weaves the complex narrative of four different sub-plots into a tight roll and creates tension after tension that resolve in unexpected, unpredictable endings. The characters in the sub-plots don’t know each other, yet are all tied in the bigger scheme of life.

A special mention should go to cinematographers P.S Vinod and Nirav Shah who follow the characters from so many angles that the audience feels they’re inside the screen. The audience becomes bystanders and one wouldn’t want to miss a single scene.

If you are getting your doses of South Indian cinema from the Goldmines Telefilms’ YouTube channel with 33.9 million subscribers and constantly trending releases even in Nepal, you have probably watched your fair share of commercial Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malyali movies. But Super Deluxe proves that what Goldmines is feeding you is unhealthy stick-food, fried in the same oil every day. Super Deluxe (available on Netflix) is gourmet. And like all gourmet food, it definitely needs some acquired taste but once you’re used to it, fast food becomes untouchable.

Who should watch it?

One more time, Super Deluxe is not your regular South Indian cinema with Shriya Saran’s dances, Bramhanandan’s comedy, and Rajnikanth’s action. It is a super-intelligent film that disturbs you and compels you to think—hard. The film grapples with your thoughts and grabs your attention for its entire 2hrs 56mins. A must watch.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Genre: Thriller

Director: Thiagarajan Kumararaja

Actors: Ashwanth Ashokkumar, Samantha Akkineni, Vijay Sethupathi

Run time: 2hrs 56mins