3 Best Movies to Watch by Vinay Pathak

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1. Fire, 1997

In this powerful exploration of suppressed desires and societal constraints, Fire delves deep into the lives of two women trapped in loveless marriages. Radha's husband has banished all desires from their marriage due to Radha's infertility, while the newlywed Sita knows her husband still sees his lover. As they live their stifling lives being dutiful wives and taking care of their paralyzed matriarch on their own, they begin to find solace in each other—eventually igniting a forbidden romance that challenges what they thought living truly was. The performances by Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi are captivating, as they find renewed passion in each other's arms even as they question how tradition doesn't hold a women's benefit in mind. Fire is a bold and groundbreaking film that provokes reflection on love, freedom, and the courage to defy societal norms.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Actor: Alice Poon, Avijit Dutt, Javed Jaffrey, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Laurence Côte, Nandita Das, Ram Gopal Bajaj, Ranjit Chowdhry, Shabana Azmi, Vinay Pathak

Director: Deepa Mehta

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2. The Archies, 2023

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, and it’s the main reason why filmmakers keep cashing in with old media franchises. Archie has been reimagined before, with the bewildering twists and turns of the CW’s Riverdale, but this time, it’s India’s turn with the franchise, and Graphic India and Tiger Baby Films partnered with the original publication to reimagine the town as an Anglo-Indian community in The Archies. The production design is undoubtedly stunning, with the maximalist Bollywood spectacle borrowing from 60’s Americana, and the musical numbers aren't half bad either. However, it’s the story and characterization that falters, as it feels like the leads are just going through the motions of the familiar love triangles. The film is still fun to watch, but ultimately, it feels like The Archies relies on spectacle to make up for its shortcomings.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance

Actor: Aditi Saigal, Agastya Nanda, Alyy Khan, Ankur Tewari, Ashok Banthia, Avan Contractor, Delnaaz Irani, Dianne Commissariat, Dot., Farhan Akhtar, Kamal Sidhu, Khushi Kapoor, Koel Purie, Luke Kenny, Mihir Ahuja, Nikos Andritsakis, Prerana Poddar, Puja Sarup, Satyajit Sharma, Sheena Khalid, Suhaas Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Tara Sharma, Vedang Raina, Vikram Kapadia, Vinay Pathak, Yuvraj Menda

Director: Zoya Akhtar

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3. P.I. Meena, 2023

It definitely has all the hallmarks of a mystery series—intertwining investigations, corruption at the police level and higher, a dark past that vaguely reflects the central cast—but there's something about P.I. Meena that keeps it from being more than just a collection of genre markers. It neither feels urgent nor specific enough to separate itself from so many similar shows, and it often jumbles up the stories it tries to tell, leading to a fluctuating tone and hurried pacing. Tanya Maniktala makes for a charming lead, but she can't help but be overwhelmed by the show's attempts to hit the familiar beats we expect to see.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Jisshu Sengupta, Parambrata Chatterjee, Samir Soni, Tanya Maniktala, Vinay Pathak, Zarina Wahab

Director: Debaloy Bhattacharya

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