Modern Love Mumbai: This is the widely awaited Indian spinoff of ‘Modern Love’—a series based on the New York Times column. Each episode of this six-part anthology tells a different love story—with its own cast and director. The big names include Arshad Warsi, Masaba Gupta, Naseeruddin Shah and Prateik Babbar. Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar also makes his debut opposite Pratik Gandhi in director Hansal Mehta’s episode ‘Baai.’ FYI: Amazon has announced two more anthologies set in Hyderabad and Chennai. There are no reviews, but we have high hopes given the talented line-up. It drops today on Amazon Prime.
Puzhu: This is a highly anticipated Malayalam crime-thriller with megastar Mammootty—in the role of a menacing father and his complicated relationship with his son. And it marks the debut of director Ratheena PT. We don't know much about the plot of this dark family drama—and there aren’t any reviews. But, hey, it’s Mammootty. Watch it on SonyLiv.
The Lincoln Lawyer: Created by David E Kelley, this series offers a solid legal drama for uncomplicated binge-watching. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo plays a lawyer tasked with a high-profile case involving a tech mogul accused of murdering his wife. And yeah, he runs his practice from the back of a Lincoln.
Hollywood Reporter was expecting a lot more from Kelley than a safe potboiler with a dull leading man—and Variety agrees. But Chicago Sun Times really enjoyed the old-fashioned network TV feel of the show—and praises it as a “slick, easily digested and well-acted legal thriller featuring an outstanding ensemble cast and a juicy, lurid murder mystery.” Guess you’ll just have to watch it to figure out who is right. All 10 episodes of ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ will drop on Netflix today.
Savage Beauty: This South African thriller follows a beautiful model who becomes the face of a big beauty brand. But she is actually intent on taking revenge on her employers, the powerful Bhengu family. We didn’t find many reviews but we are intrigued and pleased at the opportunity to check out an African series. Drops on Netflix today.
A list of good reads
- Variety reports on the widespread anxiety in Hollywood after Netflix numbers crashed.
- HR Brew looks at “burnout tech”—used by employers to scan Slack and email messages for signs of mental distress in their staff.
- The Atlantic has an excellent read on ‘Mom brain’—and why it isn’t just a joke.
- Also in The Atlantic: Why the world should be worried about the heatwave in India.
- A BBC News investigation reveals how Russian propaganda networks are using profile pictures of influencers and ordinary users—a number of them Indian—to create fake accounts.
- New York Times has the bizarre story of how a UN agency gave its entire investment portfolio to a British businessman after meeting him at a party—and paid $3 million for his daughter to record a pop song!
- The Quint has an important piece on rising suicides within our military.
- The Scroll explains why so many Indian drivers don’t follow road rules.
- Wired offers a thought-provoking critique of the Web3 revolution.
- Also in Wired: Data science that shows we are dating all wrong.
- Zoologist Jules Howard in The Guardian argues that your dogs feel more than just attachment. They actually love you.
- Also in The Guardian: Why US anti-abortion laws could put IVF treatments in danger.
- Unbias The News has an excellent piece that connects visa privilege—having a passport that is easily accepted around the world—to the domination of the white foreign correspondent.
