Category: Reviews

Heartstopper S2

Published on by Harpreet ChhachhiaLeave a comment

I finished watching the second season of Heart Stopper in one night. There are some wonderful moments in the season, and I had loved the first one. The second season was a worthy follow up. When we began watching the second season, my partner said, “They are going to break up. What else are they going to show?” That made me think. First, he was right in thinking that, because of added viewership, the scriptwriters tend to make the lead couple go through breaks. Purely to create drama. Second, I began thinking whether relationships, it does not matter if they alternate or straight, must necessarily go through break-ups eventually.

I watched the second season with trepidation, after that. I will just say one thing that I found myself disbelieving. Mostly every character, in the series turns out to be a representation of the LGBTQIA+ banner. Even the faculty members turn out to have alternate sexualities. I began thinking, damn, this is an academic environment that I never got around to even knowing of, much less experiencing, when I was a teenager. Someone online said, there must have been gay teachers, when I was studying. True, but I never knew of one who was out and proud of themselves, the way the ones in the series are depicted. Jealous much!

What then happens in the second season? Spoiler alert right away, so don’t read further if you do not like spoilers.

There is no break up. There are several issues that come up in any relationship, post the commitment. The idea of the ‘happily ever after’ works at the end of books and movies. What happens after the marriage or the commitment or the kiss during the sunset, no one really wishes to talk about or address. Thankfully, a good series takes note of this and tries to understand the vagaries of an established relationship in its episodes.

Particularly, for Nick and Charlie, there is the foremost dilemma of coming out to friends and family. Charlie was outed, Nick is not. There is the issue of image and prestige and social disgrace or acceptance. Nick keeps talking about his being bisexual whenever he speaks openly about his relationship. It seems like a cover for him, as it is implied that he is not ‘as gay as Charlie’. Of course, bisexuality is a part of the LGBT spectrum, but in most cases, it is used as a cover-up. In a committed relationship with a gay man, another man can profess his bisexuality. However, does the bisexuality imply that he will be with another person of the opposite sex eventually? If yes, then the break-up is inevitable. If no, then why mention the bisexuality? I understand the need to be imperative about the difference in sexuality, but what effect would this have on a partner/Charlie’s mind.

The process of coming out is a tough one. We who have taken steps to come out have known this to be true. It is an intense process. We come to terms first with ourselves and our difference from mainstream society. We then have to choose to whom to come out. Understanding their personalities becomes a necessity – and still there is a chance that we may not understand them at all. No matter how hard we try. Because we do not know what their response would actually be. So, we begin to test ground – by implication and by strategy. So, on top of the anxiety of wanting acceptance, we have to also understand what the other person is and what their response will be. Planning becomes necessary in most cases. Stress factors compound.

The really thoughtful angle that Heart Stopper brings out, is the fact that Nick’s coming out doesn’t just affect him. It also plays on the peace of mind of Charlie. He doesn’t want to lose Nick, and so he wants the coming out process to go easy for Nick. This is despite the fact that Charlie’s coming out was foisted on him by circumstance and not his own choice. He relives the bullying and the mental torture that he underwent earlier. His mental equilibrium begins to topple.

Charlie’s mental state is already frayed by his past. With the coming out process of Nick, his own peace of mind gets further destabilised, and it manifests in the resurgence of an eating disorder. The scene when he confesses to Nick about his state of mind is a tender one. One of the best scenes in the season. He opens his heart and talks to Nick about self-harm and his abstinence from food. Nick realises even Charlie’s closest friends do not realise this about him. When this comes about, people like me can understand how Charlie chooses to make Nick his first priority throughout the school term. He wants Nick’s coming out process and time in the relationship to be as smooth as possible. The chance of Nick unravelling is unbearable to Charlie – because he has had a first-hand experience of it.

Technically speaking, the emotional intensity of the relationship is very well portrayed. The problem I have had with it is how two teenage boys who are attracted to each other have not progressed to any form of a sexual act. They refrain from making love. This is another angle that may be brought up in season three. Because as I see it, Nick is the one uncomfortable with the sexual part of the relationship. He is not at all ready, and this brings me to the point of how he stresses his bisexuality each time he talks to people. So maybe, my partner is right and eventually they may break up. But the romantic in me thinks may be not. It is just his fear of trying out something he never thought he would be attempting. But – teenage boy – raging hormones – attraction – empty room – Paris – and yet, nothing. (Except for a very small love bite.)

One particular scene made me envious. When Nick and Charlie walk hand in hand in Le Marais, I felt truly envious. I grew up gay, in India, where until September 2018, being gay was actually a criminal offence, punishable by 10-years imprisonment. It was a scene where they realise what being mainstream felt like. They could hold hands and walk out in public, where no one questioned their love. It felt good – a place where hate and discrimination faded away under the rainbow umbrellas. One thing that makes a good story: its ability to touch the hearts of people, no matter the age or the orientation or the country. This moment did it for me more than any other.

The other characters have linear graphs. With the exception perhaps of Isaac Henderson, who has a sexual identity crisis but overcomes it on his own. It is a poignant portrayal of asexuality, which in itself is hard to explain in an otherwise over sexualised world. The other character of note that seems to be at odds with himself is Ben Hope. One can never truly understand whether he has grown as a person or remains his older narcissistic self. There was an interesting angle between Youssef and Ajayi, the teachers who have a same-sex relationship, in the interim of the school trip. But it’s not greatly touched upon, since it seems to mirror the Nick and Charlie relationship.

An honourable mention for one of my favourite actors, Olivia Coleman, who plays the part of Nick’s mom so effortlessly. Thibault de Montalembert has a good cameo as Nick’s dad. It’s quite a typical scenario. But well-played. All in all, the season has set the groundwork for the next season that has already been green lit by Netflix. I think that one will be a far more interesting and passionate one. However, I hope the romance sustains through all odds. It’s a healthy go-to for questing teens and romantic souls of all ages.

Tu Jhoothi, Main Makkar

Published on by Harpreet ChhachhiaLeave a comment

Yesterday I saw TJMM, despite all the reservations I had against what I had hear about the plot of the movie. I have seen the earlier movies directed by Luv Ranjan. I have not appreciated the context in which women are placed and the way their wants and desires are not taken into account whatsoever.

As such, this movie does not deviate much from this formula. But it gives the heroine a brighter mind and a more valuable heart than the hero. The heroine is a strong-minded, independent woman. Pursued by a man who is linked to his family and is entitled by the worth of his own masculinity. The masculinity becomes toxic, eventually, because as an Indian man he is not willing to give up his comfort for the woman he professes to love, above all.

In the case of all love relationships, the couple fall in love with each other, and in the throes of any romantic endeavour they focus on just themselves. Eventually, though, the world steps in. When one has a relationship with someone, one is initially completely focused on the partner. The partners live and love in a cocoon, untouched by the outside world. The moment they make their promises to each other, in the vacuum of this protected space, they feel confident enough to step out of it. But once the world begins its interaction with them again, it is then that the promises come to be tested. And more often than not, the world is heavier than the couple. The promises falter and finally, shatter.

This is what happens with the couple in TJMM. Rohan pursues Nisha. He professes his undying love and makes his promises. She falls in love after this courtship. He introduces her to his family. They take over the relationship. As is the wont of most Indian families, the family becomes overwhelming with its superciliousness and entitlement.

When Rohan and Nisha’s families meet, we understand her desires. Her aunt asks her how she fell in love with a man who is from a “business family” when she wanted a man with a salaried job. Because as most Indians know, children that are brought up to take care of their own family businesses are bound to the infrastructure of that dynamic. There is never any independence. It is like Princess Margaret who wanted to love a commoner but did not wish to stop being a Royal. It’s a nepotism that must be agreeable to all.

In the wake of their overzealousness and their taking over her life, Nisha decides to call it quits. Because she doesn’t want to be in the space where she wants to make Rohan choose between his family and her. The director – intentionally or unintentionally – gives her character a human conflict. She realizes that she will never be a priority in his life – no matter how much she wants him to make her one. So she decides to break it off.

The subplot of his being a “match-breaker” is relevant only to create comic interludes. Without Ranbir Kapoor’s acting prowess, the character of Rohan would have been terribly insipid. But he, as always, pulls the character forward effortlessly. He is always brilliant to watch. Shraddha gives no surprises, she has done a good enough job, but I cannot help but question how Alia would have fared in this role. Dimple gives good slaps, Boney Kapoor is irrelevant. The best side character was Nisha’s mother. Ayesha Mishra has always been brilliant. She has about five minutes of screen time. But the burden of having no agency in her family is depicted beautifully, as she speaks to her daughter about her decision. Her mother’s unfulfilled life is the reason why Nisha wants to branch away from another joint family.

The end is bittersweet for Nisha. But most viewers won’t understand this. It becomes Nisha’s movie, because she is the one who actually loves – because true love is always tested by sacrifice. One party always gives up more than the other. In this case, in the climax, she tells Rohan the reason why she didn’t want to be with him. She did not want to give up her own agency to fit into another joint family. She wanted to be his first priority, not his 7th, to which he himself admits. He refuses to do so. He leaves. And she leaves.

But his family intervenes – they decide again what he should do. Again. And he falls in line. Again. He should have let her go. He had actually. But his family says no, you must have the toy that kept you happy. There is a classic airport scene, but with the entire family, instead of just the two lovers. It is directed well, every one discussing their own mistakes. It is a fun watch, mostly because I am a die-hard romantic myself (sucks for me), but the realist in me also reared his head and felt terribly sad for Nisha. She accepts her lover’s family and her lover – who will always place her 7th in his life.

I also know through bitter experience that this placement will never change for Rohan. Even if the ones he places before her die, she will always remain 7th, because death is never a leveller when it comes to matters of love. It outlasts death, and that is the tragedy of this movie and the mentality that gives it validation.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Published on by Harpreet Chhachhia1 Comment

I suppose it is canon when I tell you how I have loved the works of Tolkien since I was a child. The works of Rowling matched that fervour in the late nineties. But then I saw The World This Week with Pranoy Roy, where they gave the world a glimpse of The Fellowship of the Ring. I already was well aware that Gandalf would be played by Sir Ian McKellen. He was one of my earlier icons from theatre, he had come out as gay and was a role model. He became even more of a beacon of light for this boy growing up in the suburbs of Mumbai.

I won’t get into the absolute delight of watching Peter Jackson’s trilogy as they released over the beginning of this century. They will forever be a bench mark in the history of cinema. The Hobbit trilogy that followed a decade later was not lovelier than the first trilogy. I always wondered whether the Silmarillion would be touched.

You see, I believe that The Silmarillion is chock full of brilliant mythology. The stories have a lot of death and destruction, but they also have love and light. I am of the belief that The Silmarillion has more cinematic appeal than the Lord of the Rings and that is indeed saying much. The characters are epic, because they deal directly with a scope that extends into the realms of the gods – literally.

So I will not gloze on how wonderfully happy I was when the rights to the Second Age was bought over by Amazon, in November, 2017. I wondered why they didn’t take in the rights to the First. But I would suppose it is because the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit will always be the go-to for Tolkien’s work on film. So, the depiction of the Second Age and a known villain like Sauron would have a far greater appeal in terms of quicker understanding for the vox populi.

So, then I waited, almost in the gloom of Gollum’s cave.

The Tolkien Estate sold the rights to the highest bidder who turned out to be Jeff Bezos of Amazon. The rights were sold for USD 250,000,000 and his plan of making an epic series greater than The Game of Thrones began its reality. The budget was supposed to be USD 150,000,000 per season, but the first season is now estimated to exceed USD 1,000,000,000.

The COVID pandemic fucked up a lot of production and I won’t get into what happened to millions of personal lives. But the making of the series always brought me one of the few hopes that I cling onto. You know, how when things get dark and you wonder if there are things to look forward to in life? Well, this series was one of those things. I am a man of small desires – food to eat, clothes to wear, people to love and books and movies to watch.

Director Bayona completed shooting of the first two episodes of season one by December, 2020. 2021 was the year where they brought out the day of release for the series. They were calling it The Lord of the Rings series, itself – and it seemed right, since the main antagonist of the series, after all, would be Sauron. The teasers released, pictures and video. Hope increased.

Then I waited through the entire night for the release at 6:30AM on 1st September, 2022. Let me tell you right at the beginning that I have not been disappointed in the least. Far from it.

It begins with a prologue. Galadriel narrates. The salute to The Lord of the Rings movies is unmistakable. The prologue here doesn’t speak of the Second and Third Age – it speaks of the First. There are some spectacular glimpses of the Two Trees. The Darkening of Valinor and then the sinking of Beleriand. I wondered then if the series would be understood by those who have never read the books or seen the movies – much less read The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and the History of Middle-earth.

There could have been more explanations to Morgoth, before showing us the glimpse of Sauron. Hopefully, the people who are not in the know, picked up on the quick segue from fallen Valar to fallen Maiar.

Morfydd Clark as Galadriel does not disappoint. She lacks the charisma of Cate Blanchett. But this is a different Galadriel than the one you see later in the Third Age of the World.

This Galadriel is the forerunner of the show. She is its heroine. Here, you are presented with the Elf who becomes the Dark Queen of Lórien when presented with the ring. This is a younger Galadriel, who is steeped with ideas of ambition and vengeance. She is the Galadriel who has lost her family in the tumult of the First Age. She is the one who wants to hunt down Sauron who she believes is not dead or lost. She is the one who wishes to take the Ring from Frodo, much later, because she has not given up the idea of bringing peace to the realm by any means necessary. This is the Galadriel who gives up Valinor because she believes without her no one will attempt to set things right in Middle-earth. Her character is not Light and it is not Dark. It is grey.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) on the battlefield. CR: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video

I love the way she is represented. She is the Lady of Light seen in Caras Galadhon in the end of the Third Age. She is here more vocal about her desire. She has not yet become the politician that she accuses Elrond of being. One of the best scenes of the first episode, in my opinion, is when she is on the ship sailing to Valinor. The spectacle of the scene is a culmination of the representation of places we have never seen on screen before.

Lindon, Khazad-dûm, Eregion, the South Lands – utterly beautiful depictions – and the special effects team has just done its job so very well. And Númenor – oh my gosh. It is said that concept artist John Howe (I love his work!) filled 40 sketchbooks with drawings for the project! He stated that the biggest different between the films and the series was that the series visited new locations!

Payne, McKay and Avery, the writers, wanted a lot more focus on the beauty of Númenor, because it had never been conceptualised before on screen. Tolkien had mentioned that the city was like Venice, because of its connection to water. The Elven works have given way to work grounded by the reign of Men… and as with mankind, there are grandiose depictions of stone sculptures – of Men. But I digress.

The crux of Galadriel’s conflict comes within the scene at Valinor’s portal. The rejection of her invite to return home. It is like the rejection of Fëanor, when he is told by the Valar to stay at home and not seek out Morgoth for revenge. But he does, and so does she. She abandons the ship bound for Valinor. She thinks her presence is indispensable. It is her own vanity that makes her dark, as she dives into the sea, instead of looking upward into the stars.

Valinor

The writers of the show have dealt with the minds of the Valar and given them the cognizance of wisdom. As Galadriel reaches Valinor and the portal opens, a comet shoots out from the skies. Her replacement is sent forth. They do not mention who The Stranger is – but I would like to believe it is Gandalf the Grey. He is sent forth as a better replacement to Galadriel. For he is a Maiar – of fire – the follower of Manwë – and he has no intention to gain power. His purpose is only to help and guide. As is clearly shown by the end of the third episode.

Of course, I wouldn’t say that the purpose to help and guide was also shared by both Morgoth and Sauron. The former when he teaches the Vanyar how to build weapons and armour and the latter when he becomes Annatar and comes to Númenor. But those are analogies I won’t speak about further.

The scenes in Lindon are some of my favourite. Everything is so – yellow. But the carvings of the fallen on trees – superb. Has anyone noticed how Gil-Galad, Benjamin Walker, looks so similar to the actor who plays Gil-Galad in the movies, Mark Ferguson?

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Clockwise from top left: Harfoots Marigold Brandyfoot (Sara Zwangobani), Largo Brandyfoot (Dylan Smith), Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards), and Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot (kneeling).

The creation of the Harfoots seems so in sync with the question of how the hobbits come into their own. I always wondered why their history was never mentioned very much. I like the idea of them being nomadic and filled with the idea of family. The character of Nori played by Markella Kavenagh is so – right. She fills easily into the shoes of both Merry and Pippin. The Stranger rockets right into their midst. Another reason why I feel he has to be Gandalf (apart from the fact that he can speak to fireflies like he did with a moth). Does Gandalf the Grey not share an old affinity with hobbits? It’s all so well-structured.

After the Elves and the Hobbits, I must speak of my favourite couple in the series. Prince Durin IV and Princess Disa. Khazad-dûm is a wonder. The way they have picked up the skeletal ruins seen in The Lord of the Rings and filled them with life and beauty is a joy to behold. Just amazing work of the digital team that has mastered about 9,500 visual effects shots within this one season! The acting of Durin and the chemistry between him and Disa is really lovely to behold – you can actually feel their love.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete) of Khazad-dûm.

Finally, we come to the depiction of the Southlands. Another area of Middle-earth never before seen. There is a history there that hasn’t been spoken of – and once again there is light even in the darkness, presented as the love of Bronwyn for Arondir.

There were bigots who did not wish people of colour to play roles they thought should be played by white people. They spoke on behalf of Tolkien. What I know is this – Tolkien wrote about the free peoples of Middle-earth – and they all sat on the Council to decide Middle-earth’s fate. As such, I am sure he would be just as pleased with Ismael’s Arondir as most people who admire gravitas do. He is the Elven Aragorn.

Dominic Monaghan, Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd
Sean Astin

Tolkien’s work is for everyone. I was a 12-year-old Indian boy, bullied because he was different, and reading about Frodo then did me a world of good. So I do not believe that I could not play that part just as well as Elijah, just because I am brown. (Pardon my immodesty – I do not beg pardon for my ethnicity!)

We have a lot of similarities between the Third Age and this one. We have a dark weapon that talks and corrupts, we have a dwarf and an elf friendship, we have a lost king of men, many dialogues that seemed to be picked up from the movies (she has passed out of my sight), another weapon forged by the elves that is a representation of an ancient warrior, and so much ambition floating about everywhere.

I have loved the series so far. I like the depiction of the characters. The script has its flaws here and there, but over all the writing is very good. The dialogue has been adapted to suit the difference in the ages of Middle-earth. For example, Elves speak mostly Quenya instead of Sindarin. There are different dialects and even poetic meters for some characters. It’s a lovely affair of sound. The writers have outdone themselves – and I can just imagine what a momentous task it happens to be.

It is necessary, I suppose, to leave cliff-hangers here and there. Like what exactly was in the box that King Durin opens up with his son. I think it could be a silmaril. Some think it could be mithril, upon the finding of which the dwarven kingdom began its downfall. They “delved too deep” – and ultimately released the Balrog.

For me, someone steeped in Tolkien’s mythos, the series has proved to be a sensation of many delights. I love seeing the different locations. Seeing characters that I have read about and always wanted to see on screen. I look forward to every Friday morning. And the wait fills me with pleasure. It is nice to look forward to things like this in life when most things seem to pale and fall away into desolate burdens of daily life. I do hope we get to see all five seasons of this – because I much prefer to see Middle-earth than Westeros. Romanticism over realism and love instead of cruelty.