So you wanna watch something…

Sweet Tooth: Here’s something very unique. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the series follows a half human-half deer Gus, who has been living a secluded life in a world that fears and hunts him. He makes an unlikely friend with whom he sets out on an adventure. The series is an adaptation from a DC comic book series of the same name by Jeff Lemire. According to Hollywood Reporter, “This is a show with real epic scope, and it earns the laughter and occasional tears that it wrings from the audience thanks to a real and unquestionable, well, sweetness.” Season 1 landed on Netflix today!

Raya and the Last Dragon: Here’s a Disney movie with a twist. This film transports us to Southeast Asia where a sole warrior girl has to fight evil dragons that have returned 500 years later. In the fantasy land of Kumandra, dragons and humans coexisted for a long time—until sinister spirits called Druun forced the dragons to sacrifice themselves to save the humans. Now that the Druun are back, Raya has to find the last dragon to fight them—but it will take much more than one dragon to save their land. Firstpost explains why this is not the usual Disney fare, while The Hindu recommends it as a “bright, bubbly adventure”! Available to watch on Disney+Hotstar today.

The Family Man (Season 2): You can only keep an agent from his true calling for so long… and so returns former NIA agent Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) from his boring corporate job and couples therapy sessions—to news of a national-level threat in Chennai that involves a rebel group and ISI joining hands. For fans, this is more a reminder than a recommendation, and for everyone else—watch season one to see what the hype is all about! Releasing today on Amazon Prime. 

Sweet and Sour: If you want a break from the usual sugary rom-com, check out this Korean film which chronicles modern love from its first sweet phase to the bitter and messy end. Here are two people in a long-distance relationship dealing with the ups and downs of human connection—and inevitably a third person enters the frame. Streaming on Netflix today.

Trippin’ with the Kandasamys: After ‘Keeping Up with the Kandasamys’ and ‘Kandasamys: The Wedding’, we now have this third installment of the saga of the Naidoos and the Kandasamys. To recap: They are two warring South African families—actually women, i.e. Shanti Naidoo vs Jennifer Kandasamy—of Indian origin who have long been at war when their children fall in love and get hitched. The best recommendation: “Though it does feel a bit like an Indian Romeo and Juliet (same drama, less death), the film focuses on the mothers and their decade-long quarrel. The disses and clapbacks are pure gold, and these veteran actresses’ comedic timing can make Trevor Noah take notes.” Watch it now on Netflix.

A list of good reads

• Psyche has an excellent piece on the science of pleasure—and it’s about a lot more than just dopamine.
• Farah Yameen in Goya Journal has a wonderful essay on the connection between the fats we use to cook—be it mustard or mahua oil, Dalda or ghee—and who we are.
• The News Minute reports on the many Malayalis who are migrating to Clubhouse during the lockdown.
• The Cut looks at creators who have turned their trauma into memes—and the connection between suffering and laughter.
• Indian batter Veda Krishnamurthy in ESPNCricinfo speaks about her family’s Covid tragedies. The disease claimed her sister and mother.
• Are you one of the many fans of ‘Kim’s Convenience’ on Netflix? If so, you’ll enjoy New York Times’ take on this “quietly revolutionary” series. 
• BuzzFeed looks at the many inconsistencies and contradictions in Harry’s interviews—a rare critical look at a prince who has gained the vast portion of public sympathy.
• Atlas Obscura offers an intriguing look at Kowloon Walled City aka the City of Darkness in Hong Kong.
• NewsLaundry has a must-read on how the government is recruiting Microsoft to do an Aadhaar for land records—and why it may be no less disastrous for poor farmers.
• Mihir Sharma in Bloomberg News has a scathing op-ed on Bangladesh that cuts India to size: “Bangladesh is far richer than the depressed Indian states where Hindu nationalist politicians have been railing against Bangladeshi ‘termites.’ It’s as if Mississippi were fretting about illegal immigration from Canada.”
• Gulf News has an exclusive interview with the architect of the Central Vista project. It’s always good to hear the other side even if you know where you come down on an issue.
• The Next Web looks at why tech is still an unwelcoming and often dangerous space for LGBTQ folks.