Tanima Ray

Tanima is a writer-turned-journalist who believes in the magic of words and power of stories. An alumnus to IIMC and MICA, she has served in many channels and news websites including Republicworld.in and DD News prior to The Hyderabad Review.

Ratched Netflix: A Wretched Series That Fails To Strike Chords As A Prequel

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Ratched

Based on the character of a Nurse, Ratched Netflix, from the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and from the Saat Zaentz Company motion picture of the same name, the Netflix web series has been hugely disappointing.

As pointed out by many, the protagonist doesn’t match the character it has been preaching to portray. Ratched is more like a B grade psychological thriller or horror film like American Horror Story though the latter could be rated far better.

Spanned over 8 episodes, Ratched is played by Sarah Paulson, an Emmy and Golden Globe awardee. Yet it is unclear if it was a fault on part of the director Ryan Murphy or Paulson herself that she failed to show the true motive as the lead. Even if you try hard, you will still miss on the plot as all you can see is psycho sex scenes and gory imagery all across the season. You don’t really know what’s going on in their heads. In a few scenes, Ratched sleeps with an assassin and recollects absurd things, which is way hard to comprehend even if it is evident that she is mentally unstable. Clearly it is hard to square this Mildred Ratched with the Nurse Ratched she’s supposedly the precursor to.

Moreover, the plot fails to do justice to the portrayal of psychopaths as well. Finn Wittrock who played Edmund Tolleson in the series appears unconvincing although it is visible that he has done his bit to appear as a serial killer.

The series failed because of these major characters yet all other characters acted very fine. Be it Judy Davis as Nurse Bucket, Cynthia Nixon as Briggs, Jon Jon Briones as Dr. Hanover, I found each doing a wonderful job. But perhaps their part was all in vain as the leads failed to drag the story.

Besides this, the portrayal of taboo over same-sex relationships deeming it as madness that needs to be treated prevalent in the 1940s is also strong and commendable imagery that has been shown in the series.

Another good thing apart from the supporting actors is the set of the series and also the costumes. One can only drool over the precision. But like they say – “All that glitters is not Gold.”

In my opinion, don’t waste your time watching it. I rate it 2 out of 5 stars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU9ZtlkSnnE

Warner Bros. To Adapt Comic Based On Black Lives Into A Feature

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Black

Conforming to the #BlackLivesMatter movement, motion picture production giant Warner Bros. has acquired the feature adaptation of the Black Mask comic series, announced Studio 8 on Thursday. The feature film which is to be named Black is to be co-created by Kwanza Osajyefo and Tim Smith 3. The comic speaks of a world where only Black people have superpowers.

As per reports, Jeff Robinov, Guy Danella, and John Graham will produce from Studio 8 with Black Mask Studio’s Matteo Pizzolo and Brett Gurewitz to serve as producer and executive producer. Creators Osajyefo and Smith are co-producers as well. They are yet to assign a director.

“We became involved in the development of this story over a year ago. Black represents a new generation of storytellers and creators who can accurately tell black stories with the type of care the industry has lacked for decades. The thought-provoking concept caught our attention early on, and we’re proud to play a role in bringing this story to the screen,” said Studio 8 CEO Jeff Robinov to Deadline.

The plot centers on one young man who survives a violent past and realizes that he is part of these extraordinary people. But a secret consortium wants to control these abilities and those who possess them, and he soon finds himself at the center of a war over the future of mankind itself.

The script of the series is written by Bryan Edward Hill, who is a producer on DC’s Titans.

Over a decade ago, Osajyefo came up with the concept for the comic and it gained widespread recognition after its Kick-starter campaign raised over $90,000. Black has launched an entire universe of comics and books that are originally drawn and written by Jamal Igle, Khary Randolph, Jennifer Johnson, Vita Ayala, and Liana Kangas.

“Part of the inspiration for Black came from my experiencing the lack of representation in comics publishing and how that directly relates to the scarceness of black characters. For most of comics’ history, white outcasts have been used as allegories for marginalized groups while claiming to reflect the world outside our window. BLACK strips away this veneer to juxtapose superpowers with race while allowing black people to see ourselves authentically in media and inviting wider audiences into parts of our experience. We’re excited to bring this story to everyone through film and thankful to Studio 8 for believing in it,” said Osajyefo.

 

Rape Nation: Meena Kandaswamy’s poem on Hathras Horror that trembles one’s soul

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rape representational image

Once again India is horrified with the brutal gang rape and death of a 20-year-old Dalit girl in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. To add to the nation’s dismay, after she passed away the state police cremated her remains without allowing her family to see her for the last time.

Recent reports have further buried the case with claims of no assault being done. Politicians who showed concern were manhandled and arrested.

The world is now talking about how the lower castes and largely women are undermined in our country. Besides women, anti-caste and Dalit activists have been urging people to use the victim’s name while protesting, in order to highlight her caste activity.

The same was picked by poet Meena Kandaswamy, also known for her book on domestic violence – When I Hit You. A Ph.D. holder in literature, Kandaswamy irks her readers to delve into the pain of lower castes in our country. She stresses on the fact that the ostracization and oppression will never end. A novelist, translator, and rebel of a woman, Meena’s words have shaken the entire nation.

Below is her poem.

 

In Hathras, cops barricade a raped woman’s home,

hijack her corpse, set it afire on a murderous night,

deaf to her mother’s howling pain. In a land where

Dalits cannot rule, they cannot rage, or even mourn.

This has happened before, this will happen again.

What does that fire remember? The screams of satis

dragged to their husband’s pyres and brides burnt alive;

the wails of caste-crossed lovers put to death,

the tongue-chopped shrieking of raped women.

This has happened before, this will happen again.

Manu said once, so his regiment repeat today:

all women are harlots, all women are base;

all women seek is sex, all they shall have is rape.

Manu gives men a license plate, such rape-mandate.

This has happened before, this will happen again.

This has happened before, this will happen again.

Sanatana, the only law of the land that’s in force,

Sanatana, where nothing, nothing ever will change.

Always, always a victim-blaming slut-template,

a rapist-shielding police-state, a caste-denying fourth estate.

This has happened before, this will happen again.

She tweeted the same on her twitter profile.

Netizens have been sharing the poem over social media and stirred by her words.

https://twitter.com/bismay_inc/status/1311216395867156482

Enola Holmes: A Fresh Gust of Wind that Replaces Age-Old Male Detectives

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Enola Holmes

Enola Holmes, sister of Sherlock Holmes on the way to be a world-famous detective like her brother is all the film about. Yet there is more to the film than what meets the eyes.

The literary and cinematic trend of retelling stories from the perspective of a character other than the original protagonist of a bestseller has gained quite a popularity these days. The same has been followed in the very plot of the film. While detectives have been largely portrayed as men by authors, Nancy Springer, the original book series writer, decided to bring forth a female detective who could trick any man with her wits. And she chose Sherlock Holmes as the backdrop. Who on earth would have imagined that the famous fictional detective had such a happening family other than Springer who brought them to us.

Enola has humor, knowledge, intelligence, physical strength, and everything that a woman in the 19th century could only dream to have. She is a misfit amongst the ladies of her time embodying a glimpse of the female movement that started during the period in England. Thanks to her mother, Eudoria Holmes played by Bonham Carter, the matriarch (a single mother) of the Holmes family who trains her to emerge as a fierce feminist.

I was completely taken aback by Millie Bobby Brown as Enola. Playing the weird super-kid has perhaps become her favorite prototype since she stunned us earlier with a similar role in Stranger Things. What I found most entertaining and humorous in the film are the monologues by Millie aka Enola. I have a funny feeling that Millie is going to be the upcoming female superstar in Hollywood just the way Emma Watson did – from Hermoine to Belle. I want to watch more of Millie Bobby Brown in the coming days and I am sure even you will after you watch the film.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFc-zhUnMmT/

Though Millie is the protagonist, all the female eyes have been caught by Sherlock Holmes played by Henry Cavill. This man is just too hot to handle and has played Sherlock so rightly. His chemistry as a brother to Millie is just amazing. There’s news that Henry is going to play James Bond in upcoming Netflix ventures. Fingers crossed.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFe5MrZBhLJ/

Coming to Bonham Carter, largely known for playing Lestrange in Harry Potter films, she has yet again chosen a script that matches the crazy lady prototype. Only this time, she is not exactly evil but whimsical to bring a revolution. The inclusion of characters like these is commendable as misfits badly need to find a fit amongst the stereotypes who otherwise judge the whole time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFheOPoB5l4/

If you feel that I’m missing out the guy Enola fell for, chuck it. She deserves better and she knew it right from the beginning. I couldn’t find anything striking about his performance either.

I would rate the film 4.5/5 with a deduction of 0.5 for Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes, the eldest of the three children. I did not find Sam to be doing justice to his role. He could have been a bit more grave and strict to match the description of the character.

Director Harry Bradbeer recently mentioned that he made the film for little ‘fleabags’, referring to the award-winning series by the same name. He rightly said so as he connects wonderfully with women who are judged every day by the patriarchal world out there.

More sequels to this film, please!

 

5 Indian Mythological Fictions that are thrilling like a Sci-fi

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shiva with a snake

Every country is deep-rooted in its mythology. While there are several claims and historical evidence of mythologies, not everything has been found true by researchers. Yet the age-old tales, either spread by word of mouth or written by hermits and scholars have indeed captivated the history of the land they have spoken of.

Moreover, each of these myths has had several renditions while being narrated by different people over the passage of time.

Lately, writers across India have been affected by a literary trend that emerged back in the west when writers took the liberty of mixing facts and mythology with fiction which came to be known as mythological fiction. This genre has been picked up so wonderfully by our writers that none of their books can be put down. While some have researched the unrevealed section of the myth, some chose to speak of taboos, and some even glorified the villain.

I have listed five such books written by Indian writers which will thrill you no less than science fiction. Here they are.

 

shiva trilogy

Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi

Shiva Trilogy has been selling like hotcakes ever since its publication. The book series has become synonymous with the genre itself. Written by Amish Tripathi, the trilogy depicts the story of the Hindu Lord Shiva since his advent as a God.

Amish humanizes the sacred lord as a Tibetan immigrant who is the only hope of the Chandravanshi’s against the evil in his first book – Immortals of Meluha. His second book –The Secret of Nagas portrays Shiva as the God, the destroyer of evil, set to find the door of the Nagas with vengeance in his mind. The third in the series, The Oath of the Vayuputras, is the final showdown between the destroyer of evil and his enemy.

The Pregnant King

The Pregnant King by Devdutt Pattnaik

Devdutt Patnaik can easily be deemed as the mythology know-all of the current living generation. The Pregnant King is one of the best books written by him although each of his books is completely worth reading. He has also used pictorial representations in many of his books.

The book tells the story of Yuvanashva, a childless king, who accidentally drinks the magic potion meant to make his queens pregnant. It is set in the backdrop of the Mahabharata and makes references to characters and incidents in the Kurukshetra as well as the Ramayana.

The palace of Illusion

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Every story has many facets when retold through the eyes of each of its characters. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is likewise the retelling of Mahabharata from Panchali/Draupadi’s perspective. In an epic that deals majorly with male characters, The Palace of Illusions narrates the story through a woman’s mind.

Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

This book is the best creation by writer Ashwin Sanghi. He weaves the story around a boy who grows up believing that he is the tenth avatar of Vishnu, and ends up being a serial killer. From the mystical city of Dwarka and its remains deep under the sea to the ivory white Taj Mahal, Sanghi makes the reader visualize it all very vividly.

Asura by Anand Neelakanthan

Asura: Tale of the Vanquished by Anand Neelakantan

Did you know that in parts of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka the greatest of all mythological villains – Raavana – is actually revered and worshiped? The ancient king of Sri Lanka was full of wisdom and might which the Ram Rajya failed to notice.

Anand Neelakantan, in his book Asura, retells the Ramayana from Raavan’s perspective. Asuras, the declining clan, saw Ravana as a young leader and their only hope for prosperity narrates Neelakantan.

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