The Best From The World Of Entertainment And Books: Superman, The Elsewhereans, Untold Legends

WATCH

Superman

In theatres on 11 July

One of the most enduringly popular comic-book characters of all time, Superman has been a mainstay of the superhero world for a while now. Ever since Henry Cavill stepped back from the role following Justice League (2017), fans have been speculating about an all-new ‘Man of Steel’. The role eventually went to 31-year-old David Corenswet, whose performances in streaming shows like Hollywood and We Own This City have been widely acclaimed. In this film, we follow Superman aka Clark Kent as a 25-year-old man, towards the beginning of both of his careers (Kent, the alter ego, is a reporter at the fictional Daily Planet). Kent’s colleague, Lois Lane, is unsure about whether to enter into a relationship with him, because she sees his past as a cypher. Meanwhile, young, ruthless scientific genius Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) unfurls a devious plan for testing the limits of Superman’s powers.

Metro in Dino,

In theatres on 4 July

Director Anurag Basu, the maker of critical and commercial triumphs like Barfee and Gangster, returns with a ‘spiritual sequel’ to his acclaimed 2007 romantic drama Life in a Metro. Although there is an all-new set of characters, the new film follows the same structure as the original—romantic pairs with interconnected lives, negotiating the frenetic pace of life in the big city. The four individual stories are set in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore, respectively. As in the original, music director Pritam appears in In Dino as one of the ‘musical narrators’ whose songs offer meta-commentary on the story unfolding onscreen. Watch out for veterans Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta playing the seniorcouple, following the memo-rable Dharmendra–Nafisa Ali storyline in the original.

Mistry

On JioHotstar from 27 June

As the last four or five years have proven, Indian streamers are betting big on remakes of international TV shows. And the latest in this string of remakes is Mistry, an Indian adaptation of the beloved detective comedy series Monk. In the original, Tony Shalhoub starred as the titular private detective Adrian Monk, who has severe OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) symptoms, in addition to a host of phobias and neuroses. He was removed from the police force after the unsolved murder of his wife precipitated a full-blown mental breakdown. He is, however, exceptionally talented when it comes to crime-solving and frequently notices details that are overlooked by the cops. In the Indian iteration, Armaan Mistry (Ram Kapoor) solves seemingly inscrutable crimes in Mumbai at the behest of his old friend and senior cop Sehmat Siddiqui (Mona Singh).

READ

The Elsewhereans by Jeet Thayil, HarperCollins India

Jeet Thayil’s The Elsewhereans, like the works of W. G. Sebald or Truman Capote, is a blend of fiction and non-fiction. But Thayil goes several steps beyond either in this ‘documentary novel’. Using photographs, letters and other paraphernalia from the lives of his globe-trotting parents, he fictionalizes their lives in Kerala, Hong Kong, France and beyond. As the reader careens between the factual and the imaginary, the protagonists negotiate migration, loss and their own identities. One of the epigraphs best encapsulates the spirit of the text when it says that we live most fully in the present when we’re thinking of the past. An asymmetric, rewarding literary experience.

The Hindi Heartland by Ghazala Wahab, Aleph

Few topics have been as hotly debated in Indian TV studios as the electoral fate of ‘the Hindi heartland’—Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Ghazala Wahab cuts through the chatter and the hyperbole to bring us a well-researched, deeply reported state-of-the-nation report from these regions. It begins with basic, historic questions: how did Hindi ‘defeat’ dozens of dialects to become the most politically relevant language in these states? Can caste-based demographics ever be overcome here? If you’ve ever felt that the politics of these places is inscrutable or immune to change, this is the book for you.

The Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant by Kaunain Sheriff M., Juggernaut

In 2003, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson launched the ASR hip implant amidst much fanfare. Seven years later, the company found out they were seriously flawed, and leaked toxic metals into patients. In the US, the company paid $2.5 billion to its victims, but in India, they continued to push the faulty implants. In this book, Kaunain Sheriff (national health editor at The Indian Express) tells us how the company used every legal trick in the book to avoid paying Indian victims. A damning portrayal of the way mega-corporations view Indian lives.

LISTEN

Murder at the Patel Motel, on Audible

An audio mystery series by Audible in the ‘cosy crime’ mould, Murder at the Patel Motel has been co-written by the noted Indian-American actor Maulik Pancholy, who has appeared in popular TV shows like 30 Rock, Weeds and Phineas and Ferb. Pancholy also leads the voice cast, playing the protagonist Milan Patel, a young, gay Gujarati man returning after several years to the Montana motel his family runs. Years ago, Milan had turned his back on his conservative family after they—especially his father—refused to accept his homosexuality. Soon after Milan’s return, however, his father is murdered. Now, Milan must figure out who killed his father, even as he struggles to reconcile himself with their shared past.

Untold Legends: Hedy Lamarr, BBC Podcasts, on Spotify

In 2022, Untold Legends told the story of Ora Washington, a Black tennis champion in the era of racial segregation in America. The podcast returns for a second season with the fascinating story of the Austrian-born American actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000). A well-known actress in the 30s and 40s, Lamarr gained fame and notoriety following the release of the film Ecstasy (1933), one of the first mainstream films to depict sexual intercourse on-screen. Near the onset of WWII, Lamarr co-invented a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes. This system utilized technologies that were essentially the precursors of Wi-Fi today. This remarkable story is highly recommended for history buffs.

Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Spotify

By any standards, Amy Poehler is one of the most successful and recognizable comedians of the 21st century. She was part of the Saturday Night Live cast 2001 to 08, starred in the hit comedy show Parks and Recreation and collaborated with fellow SNL alum Tina Fey on a number of films including Mean Girls (2004) and Sisters (2015). Her latest project is Good Hang with Amy Poehler, an old-school interview-based podcast wherein she hosts relaxed, longform conversations with fellow actors and comedians. The latest episode is a real gem, featuring the actor–writer Natasha Lyonne. Other episodes feature comedic mainstays such as Seth Meyers and Will Forte, as well as up-and-coming Hollywood stars like Dakota Johnson.