So you wanna watch something…

Pachinko: Adapted from Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel, ‘Pachinko’ tells the story of four generations of a family—spanning colonial Korea in 1915 to Tokyo and New York in 1989. The series follows Sunja through different stages of her life—from childhood to old age—in a sweeping historical saga that has become increasingly rare. BBC News calls it a “dazzling, heartfelt series” and says the “entire cast is stunning and natural.” The Hollywood Reporter describes it as “a harrowing portrait of suffering balanced against an elating tale of familial resilience and female strength.” It drops on Apple TV+ today.

RRR: Telugu cinema’s most-anticipated film—director SS Rajamouli’s (of Baahubali fame) latest—is finally in theatres after a near two-year delay. It is expected to set record numbers—and beat the opening day earnings of ‘Baahubali 2’. Set in 1920s India, the film revolves around the friendship between Komaram Bheem (NTR Jr) and Alluri Sitaram Raju (Ram Charan). Bheem is a tribal leader trying to protect his community while Sitaram works for the colonial government as a police officer. Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn also make an appearance in extended cameos. There are no reviews yet, but if over-the-top blockbusters are your cup of tea, ‘RRR’ is the flick for you. Premieres today in theatres.

Love Like The Falling Petals: Haruto is a shy, aspiring photographer who tries to impress his bubbly hairdresser Misaki by telling her that he is a successful professional. Misaki nearly slices his ear off in excitement and offers to accompany him as he photographs cherry blossoms to make up for her clumsiness—kicking off a whirlwind romance. But the universe intervenes in the form of a rare illness that causes Misaki’s body to age rapidly—and which is likely to kill her soon. South China Morning Post is not impressed, calling it “muddled and frustrating almost from the outset,” but says it offers a fascinating look at Japan’s ageing society. Give this a shot if your weekend plans include bingeing angst-ridden romances. Streaming now on Netflix.

Parallels: There are few available details about this French sci-fi series but the premise—of parallel lives and the multiverse—sounds fascinating. The main characters are four teenagers—Bilal, Romane, Sam and Victor.  While celebrating Bilal’s birthday in a closed bunker, the electricity glitches—and when the lights come back on, Bilal has been replaced by a 30-year-old stranger. Except the stranger is Bilal who has no memory of anything that happened after his birthday. Two of his friends have also aged, but not Sam. The series follows them as they make sense of what the hell happened. We definitely plan to binge watch this one on the weekend. Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

The Principles of Pleasure: This limited docu-series takes an honest look at female pleasure and the science behind it. Narrated by comedian Michelle Buteau, the series tries to answer questions about the ‘orgasm gap’—which it sums up this way: “Imagine if every time you went out to dinner and your date was served this amazing seven-course meal, whereas as you were served a packet of saltines…from 2012.” A diverse set of women talk about their experiences, while experts—psychologists, psychophysiologists and a sex toy expert named Dirty Lola—offer valuable advice. According to The Guardian, it “offers genuine take-home sex education lessons we can use to teach ourselves to give, receive, invoke and enjoy pleasure, while science slowly catches up.” We definitely plan to check it out. Available now on Netflix.

Olivia Rodrigo Driving home 2 u (a SOUR film): 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo gained international fame after the release of her first super-hit single, ‘Driver’s licence’. This 77-minute documentary tracks her swift rise to fame—following her as she drives from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. It’s a mix of behind-the-scenes footage of the making of her album ‘Sour’, live performances and interviews with Rodrigo. The film is definitely a must for fans, but others may appreciate the “astonishing cinematography,” “megawatt live performances”—and what NME calls it “a frank account of the artist’s rapid ascension, as she navigates the scrutiny that comes with being a young woman in the public eye.” Variety describes it as “a decently baked slice of fan service that still seems like it might be arriving a little too soon” in the young artist’s career. Currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Bridgerton, Season 2: The series needs no introduction—and you’ve likely decided if you’re a fan or not. But it may be worth checking out if you’re curious about the two Indian actors—Charithra Chandran and Simone Ashley—who will be stars of this season, playing two sisters involved in a love triangle with Viscount Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey). We plan to check out Indian-infused costumes and scenes and what Mashable describes as “the feel of a Bollywood romance, where characters frequently flirt, fantasise, and declare themselves, but never share so much as a kiss.” Well, retro Bollywood, maybe. Drops on Netflix today.

A list of good reads

• BBC News charts the return of the “dumbphones’—which is rising in popularity among people tired of constant scrolling and high data bills.
• Today reports on the strange predicament of parents who choose an exotic name for their child—only to hate it once the deed is done.
• Need a giggle? We highly recommend the New Yorker’s existential bra-fit quiz.
• Also in the New Yorker: ‘Exercise Is Good for You. The Exercise Industry May Not Be.’
• Andy Mukherjee looks at the heating up rivalry between Ambani and Adani in Bloomberg News via NDTV.
• InsideHook investigates the effects of a high-protein diet on testosterone levels.
• Ars Technica explains why trial data that seem to show the effectiveness of homoeopathy is misleading.
• The Quint has the story of what happened to Nalin Yadav—the other comedian arrested along with Munawar Faruqui—but ignored by the media.
• Adrija Bose in BoomLive has the disturbing story of a four-year-old rape survivor who was victimised again—this time by a viral video offering a defence by her alleged rapist.
• The Washington Post has an entertaining report on the ‘rent-a-stranger’ business in Japan—where a person is often hired to just show up and not do very much.
• The Guardian maps the rise and fall of the world’s most notorious succulent thief. Yes, it’s as off-the-wall as it sounds.
• MK Venu in The Wire argues that the “mother of all stagflations” lies ahead.
• Vice celebrates the season of the “short king”—as tall leading men go out of fashion.
• What’s the difference between humans and other primates? It may be our ability to conceive of a triangle. The New York Times has more on what neuroscientists have discovered about what makes us special.
• This New Statesman piece on zoologist Lucy Cooke’s book ‘Bitch’—“a 300-page romp through the animal kingdom and 150 years of sexist [evolutionary] science”—made us want to go out and buy it.
• Mel Magazine looks at the latest trend of hiring an AI to manage your relationships.