Kathal Review: Sanya Malhotra rises above the script in this socio-political satire
At one point in Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery, streaming on Netflix in the UAE, a world-weary police official says, "We are supposed to follow the Indian Penal Code but in reality we are following the Indian Political Code".
The wry observation is a reaction to the latest case cops in Moba district, presumably in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, have been saddled with – find a thief who has stolen two ‘Uncle Hong’ jackfruits from the house of a local politician, Munnalal Pateria (Vijay Raaz). The group consists of a sprightly young inspector Mahima Basor (Sanya Malhotra), a sincere albeit clumsy constable Saurabh (Anant Joshi), and two other constables Kunti (Neha Saraf) and Mishraji (Govind Pandey). Mahima and Saurabh are in love but have to contend with two bitter truths: One, she belongs to a lower caste and the other, she is his boss. In this wild goose chase for the missing jackfruit, Mahima and her team stumble over a far more serious issue of kidnapped young girls in the district.
If all this sounds familiar, it’s because Indian OTT viewers traversed a similar territory in the recent web series Dahaad starring Sonakshi Sinha. There are other common threads. The spectre of caste looms large in both, Dahaad and Kathal, they are set in the arid regions of Northern India, and the female leads’ experiences are tinged by patriarchy and opportunistic politics.
However, that’s where the similarities end. While Dahaad had a brooding, melancholic feel to its proceedings, Kathal is a social satire which makes a political statement. Mahima doesn’t wear the weight of her caste or gender too heavily and overcomes obstacles – from society’s snarky remarks to unwanted advances by oily men – with her wit and spunk. There is a lightness of touch in the social evils portrayed so the viewer does not get too perturbed by the ugly reality the plot actually underlines.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, although one wishes the satire had been more biting. Director Yashowardhan Mishra has plucked episodes from news headlines and while it works in some instances – like the case of the enthusiastic TV reporter, Anuj (Rajpal Yadav) who is arrested for allegedly defaming the nation with his story on missing girls – in others, it doesn’t make quite an impact. Sometimes, the film’s progressive ideas are too in your face while the climax featuring a vegetable fight between the good guys and the bad ones fail to raise a chuckle.
To its credit, the humour is largely on point and it helps that Mishra has chosen an excellent cast to push the message. Put actors like Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, Brijendra Kala and Raghubir Yadav together and they can elevate even the most mundane scene. However, while each of these veterans light up the screen in their scenes, they have been under-utilised to a certain extent and none of their character arcs really stand out. Among the supporting cast, Neha Saraf as the constable who has to balance between home and work is brilliant while Anant Joshi as Mahima’s meek boyfriend who wants to rise above social discrimination is also good.
The one actor who shines is Sanya Malhotra, who, with her fabulous screen presence and confidence, makes Mahima Basor believable and adorable. She can be funny and serious, sharp and coy, making you root for her. If only the screenplay had been a bit sharper and punchier, Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery could have been a juicier fruit to bite into.
Director: Yashowardhan Mishra
Cast: Sanya Malhotra, Anant Joshi, Vijay Raaz
Stars: 3/5
A well-known Pakistani music television series “Coke Studio Pakistan” began to air on 14th April 2024 with the first song called “Aayi Aayi” featuring local artists from Sindh, Pakistan. The journey for this season is mostly focused on the cultural aspects of Pakistan.
The audience enjoyed the songs in various cultural languages of Pakistan like Sindhi, Pashto, Punjabi, and Balochi, and with the beautiful additional flavors of Urdu and English. Coke Studio has released the song “Piya Piya Calling”, which can be a major milestone in making Coke Studio Pakistan an international brand. This song featured Kaifi Khalil with the Norwegian artist Amanda Delara and Karpe The band.
This song had so many flavors of different languages from all over the world. Amanda and Karpe sang in Norwegian, Gujarati, and Arabic with some lines in Urdu too, while Kaifi showed his class with Urdu and Balochi contrast. The audience had a mixed response after listening to the song as it has so many aspects to be looked at. The genre of this song is majorly pop with some catchy beats and hookups. The video quality has been consistent this season as every song’s official video contains lovely sets and story elements with a great touch of CGI animations.
According to Coke Studio’s official announcement, this season will have 11 songs. Therefore, with its 11th song, this week will mark the end of this amazing season. The audience is desperate to discover what will be the next and final surprise from Coke Studio. You’ll find this out together with Real Time Brief.
After bandmate Kyle Gass stirred up controversy with a remark regarding the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, Jack Black has announced that he has canceled the remaining dates of Tenacious D's global tour.
On Sunday, as the comedic rock ensemble was performing in Sydney, Australia, Gass was given a cake for his 64th birthday and asked to make a wish.
It seems as though he answered: "Don’t miss Trump next time."
"I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form," The writer was an actor and comedian.
Saying that he didn't think it was "appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour", and that the remaining "creative plans are on hold" for the group.
Black continued by saying that he is "grateful to the fans for their support and understanding".
The performance in Newcastle, New South Wales, on Tuesday was already rescheduled as a result of the issue.
The statement he improvised on stage in Sydney on Sunday night was incredibly inappropriate, risky, and a terrible error, he wrote.
"I oppose all forms of violence against anyone, in any form. It was a catastrophe, and I sincerely apologize for my gravely imprudent behavior. I really regret any hurt I may have caused and offer my sincere apologies to everyone I have let down."
After the incident, Gass also broke up with his agency.
In concert footage from Sydney, many members of the audience can be heard laughing, but Elon Musk, the owner of X, called the comment "evil" and it sparked a backlash on social media.
Senator Ralph Babet of United Australia requested that the band be deported.
He added in a statement that the two should "be immediately removed from the country after wishing for the assassination of Donald Trump at their Sydney concert".
At a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, a gunman opened fire, striking Trump in the ear.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old Republican registered worker from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was the gunman who attacked Trump, according to the FBI.
After Crooks fired shots at the former president, a Secret Service sniper fatally shot him. Two spectators suffered significant injuries, and one spectator lost their life.
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