The Best From The World Of Entertainment And Books: Creed III, Mandalorian, Zwigato and more

FILMS

ENGLISH: Pushing beyond his acting chops, Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut with CREED III, the latest from the Rocky sports–drama spin-off. Jordan also reprises his role as Adonis ‘Donnie’ Creed, a former boxing champion, who is forced back into the ring when friend-turned-foe (played by Johnathan Majors) begins an aggressive and morally dubious campaign to reach the top of the boxing world. In theatres from 3 March.

Film poster for Bheed

HINDI: After Mulk, Article 15 and Thappad, director Anubhav Sinha continues his penchant for socially conscious dramas with BHEED, which dramatizes the plight of migrant workers struggling to return home during the 2020 lockdown. Sinha shot the film in black and white, “to showcase how the visuals of social disparity during India’s lockdown were strikingly similar to what people went through during the 1947 Partition.” Starring Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar and Pankaj Kapoor, Bheed reaches theatres on 24 March.

In ZWIGATO, actor and stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma plays Manas, an average Joe trying to make ends meet as a delivery man for a food-delivery app. Director Nandita Das weaves a heartwarming story that attempts to glimpse into India’s millions-strong gig economy through Manas’ daily encounters and on-the-job challenges travails The film releases on 17 March.

Vijay Sethupati as Perumal Vaathiyaar in Viduthalai: Part 1

TAMIL: In VIDUTHALAI: PART 1,director Vetrimaaran explores the blurry boundaries between good and evil, hero and anti-hero. The plot centres around Perumal Vaathiyaar, a teacher (Vijay Sethupati)who leads a separatist group intent on exposing cases of police brutality. Kumaresan, a competent and eager-to-please constable (Soori) is brought onto take the rebels down. Based on the short story Thunaivan by B. Jeya Mohan, the film is set to hit the big screens on 31 March.

#WATCHLIST: 0N OUR RADAR

Left: A still from The Mandalorian, Right: Poster for The Power

The Mandalorian: Season 3 Mando and Grogu part ways at the end of season 2, but they reunite in The Book of Boba Fett. In the third season, the duo continue their adventures and encounter both new enemies and old on their travels. Coming to Disney+Hotstar from 1 March.

Chris Rock: Selective Outrage: Comedian Chris Rock returns to the stage with his latest special (on Netflix from 5 March), where he dishes on everything from non-racist yoga pants, the Kardashians and the now infamous Oscars night ‘slap’.

The Power Season 1:This Amazon series(available for viewing from 31 March), is set in our world in all ways but one—teenage girls have the ability to electrocute people at will—a twist that can overturn global power overturn dynamics completely.

BOOKS 

The Miracle Makers: Indian Cricket’s Greatest Ever Epic by Bharat Sundaresan with Gaurav Joshi (Penguin)

There is little doubt that if there is one thing that can galvanize a country as diverse and divided as India, it is cricket. This was in no small way proven during the country’s historic win against the host country during the 2021 India–Australia series, which many believe to be one of the greatest coups in cricketing history.

As the only journalist covering the series, Bharat Sundaresan drove the length and breadth of Australia, chasing the series under the cloud of COVID as the ‘eyes and ears of the tour’. Filled with anecdotes from on and off the field and in-puts from his col-league Gaurav Joshi, this book transports one to the battle-ground of this little-imagined event.

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I See the Face by Shahidul Zahir (HarperCollins): An alternative telling of the story, or history, of Bangladesh, Shahidul Zahir’s novel I see the Face begins with the 1971 War of Liberation and continues to move effortlessly between the past and present, and back again. With quintessential wit and humour, Zahir paints a picture of post-independence Bangladesh and describes how society or the State drives a poor but brilliant boy to destruction.

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Watershed: The Story of India’s Water in the Age of Climate Change (Hachette): Mridula Ramesh’s sobering and persuasive narrative offers an urgent call to action for the protection of India’s dwindling water resources.

Like Fine Wine (Roli Books): Through real-life stories of nine unusual couples, author Syeda Bilgrami Imam attempts to decode the mysteries of love.

A Portrait of a Secret (Penguin): Tarun Mehrishi’s page-turner of a novel traces the story of two paintings by artist Nicholas Roerich and their role in a battle for geopolitical power between Indian RAW, the Pakistani ISI and the American CIA.