Class Web Series: Spanish Thriller Adaptation Or Dark SOTY?
We live in a society that doesn’t permit anything that won’t fit people into archaic boxes of caste, class, and heteronormativity. Now trending, the Class we series on Netflix is a mystery-thriller series based on Gen Z Indian students.
While most web series fail to reflect younger generations in their original environment, Class web series is a rather fresh take on the same and pushes the boundaries of generic storytelling. A mix of thrill, romance, and much more, read ahead to decide whether or not to watch it.
Class Web Series: Spanish Thriller Adaptation Or Dark SOTY?
Class Web Series: Plot
Adapted from the Spanish series “Elite,” the Class web series is set in a fictional High School, Hampton International, in the capital of India, Delhi. When a local government school, Nurpur Khatola, is destroyed in a fire allegedly started by a wealthy businessman, three students from the school are transferred to Hampton International – a modern elite school.
The story revolves around these three students trying to get used to an unfamiliar environment amidst caste and class prejudices in a seemingly ignorant world. With crimes coming to the forefront, investigations reveal hidden secrets and trauma that the kids in Hampton International deal with.
Class Web Series: Expositions and Storyline
If you have watched Elite, you would know that the story represents the same class web series biases but in a very Indian context.
Dheeraj is a Dalit – a historically subjugated group of people in Indian society – and has to endure blatant biases almost constantly. These often range from sly remarks and derogatory slurs to outright hatred from oppressive classes.
Saba, on the other hand, is a Kashmiri immigrant who hides her identity, fearing persecution and ostracization, while Balli – a popular kid in his old school and a local social media influencer struggles to adapt to the English-speaking, glamorous world he witnesses in his new school.
The portrayal of drug abuse, sex, violence, and other such aspects makes the show connected to reality, yet not focusing enough on building different character expositions and trying to put everything into one 8-episode show doesn’t allow the audience to grasp the gravity fully.
Saba and her family’s struggles as Muslims and Kashmiri immigrants are rightly highlighted but don’t do much justice to the actual struggles faced by either of the groups.
Class Web Series: Cast and Characters
Starring some super cool actors from across the country, the ensemble cast is especially convincing with their acting, dialogue delivery, and ability to step into the shoes of characters from different backgrounds.
Anjali Sivaraman as Suhani Ahuja
is free-willed yet caged, her eyes and body language going beyond dialogues.
Gurfateh Pirzada as Neeraj Kumar Valmiki
Gurfateh is convincing in playing Neeraj – a Dalit man filled with bias-induced rage.
Piyush Khati as Dheeraj Kumar Valmiki
Piyush is one character you never fully understand until the end, which adds to the suspense of the series.
Chayan Chopra as Dhruv Sanghvi
And Chintan Rachh as Faruq Manzoor
are the highlights of the show with their poignant tale of love.
Zeyn Shaw as Veer Ahuja
Cwaayal Singh as Balli
Madhyama Segal as Saba Manzoor
have the audience captivated with their intense dialogues and commitment to the characters.
Naina Bhan as Koel Kalra
Ayesha Kanga as Yashika Mehta
Moses Koul as Sharan Gujral
are some of the best-supporting cast you’ll come across in the Class on Netflix Web series.
Class Web Series: Character Development
With caste, communalism, and politics on the table, the stakes of the show are obviously quite high. While some characters are done justice and would make the viewers empathize with them, some just deserved better.
Characters like Balli – an interesting and fun-loving kid, or Sharan – a teenager exploring his sexuality, are not explored enough for you to root for them.
Veer – a sweet boy being brought up with the values of a classic Indian man, is well represented but barely explored. However, the show challenges the idea of most mainstream series with a lead and instead focuses on different stories and backgrounds.
Suhani’s character is depicted as someone who understands the rot underneath all the privilege, a kid who isn’t understood enough, and much more under rebellious skin. However, hasty storytelling and predictable plot points don’t let the audience completely feel empathetic toward her, and the viewers are left in a dilemma.
Faruq and Dhruv
For all the suckers for Romance out there, amidst the dark stories and crimes, the almost-poetic yet realistic love between Faruq and Dhruv is enough to fall for them. Dhruv is an innocent “schoolboy” curious and eager for love’s possibilities – in his world, love doesn’t come with consequences.
Faruq, on the other hand, is well aware of the fatality of love, especially for anything that is not normative. With ups and downs, stories of artists from Isfahan, and general teenage fun, their story remains the highlight of the entire series. No wonder the internet is going gaga over these two!
Saba and Veer
In a society that doesn’t permit different communities to mingle, Saba and Veer’s relationship, despite their parents’ restrictions, is fresh and leaves a smile on our faces. Seeing one another beyond the social identity, going beyond what’s acceptable, and being brave for love have been highlighted throughout – for Saba and Veer as well as for Faruq and Dhruv.
Their story is a testimony to love and proves that it can’t be confined by political boundaries and horizons we choose to draw to limit ourselves as a society.
Class Web Series: Accurate but Hasty representations of caste and class bias in Indian society
Indian society and its biases based on caste and religion are nothing new. The series manages to capture the feelings associated with casteism and caste stereotypes, but the narrative falls short with its quick and successive plot points. While Dheeraj and his family’s story gets quite a lot of limelight, Saba and Balli’s somehow remains hasty and incomplete.
At points, you’d want to fall wholeheartedly for these characters but somehow won’t be able to with their incomplete and unexplored expositions. However, the class web series bias seeping from older generations to kids is well portrayed, with walls breaking as kids from different societies mingle.
Privileged caste students and their lack of empathy towards the subjugated castes are, in fact, subtly yet accurately depicted in a number of scenes. The dilemma many adolescents face as they see the not-so-desirable parts in their parents and the cruel sides of society are explored, but not enough like the makers did in Delhi Crimes and similar series.
Class Web Series: A subtle and sensitive take on the extremism
Class web series remains entertaining throughout and comments on sensitive topics that are important today. Saba – a straight-A student, faces constant struggle being a Hijabi and is repeatedly nudged by adults in school as well as her peers about the same. With the extremist rules and decorums surrounding educational institutions in many parts of the country, Saba and her struggles are relatable.
The subtle portrayal of how adults in schools and their ignorance and apathy harm students are bound to win the heart of the viewers – Saba’s journey from covering to removing the Hijab as the school terms it as “extra.”
It also highlights the problem of policing female students in institutions not just in India but abroad – in one way or another. In another scene, Saba’s brother is seen snapping at a student from the Elite class as he wrongly assumes he is a pick-pocket. Little snippets from the show highlight the deep-rooted prejudices plaguing society.
Class Web Series: Commentary on Parenting, Policing, and Homophobia
A much-needed take on ways of parenting in India, Class web series highlights a range of issues that young people face on a daily basis. Movies like 3 idiots and Dear Zindagi have portrayed this in the past. However, Class web series depicts the hidden homophobia in supposedly modern and educated parents and the lack of understanding and continuous policing many parents subject their kids to.
Dhruv’s parents forcing him to become a swimmer or to see a Psychiatrist after coming out, negligence by Yashika’s parents, or policing by Suhani are all too relatable.
Class Web Series: The Ending
With a great deal of turmoil throughout, the ending is quite unexpected and full of suspense. Despite having a bunch of subplots ranging from love, homophobia, and corruption to politics and much more, the show doesn’t compromise with the mystery and thrill aspect. That being said, if you love crime thrillers and mysteries, you should definitely check out the Class web series on Netflix.
Reviews
Baby Reindeer: A Graphic Testimonial Of Richard Gadd’s Inner Pain
Baby Reindeer on Netflix is based on the real-life stalking incident of the show’s creator, Richard Gadd. The series follows a fictionalized representation of comedian Richard Gadd who plays the role of Donny, a decent enough comedian and a very successful bartender who develops a flirtatious relationship with Martha (Jessica Gunning), an unkempt, slightly creepy woman who tells that she is a very influential lawyer but in reality, she cannot even barely afford even the most basic things, such as a cup of coffee.
Page Contents
Baby Reindeer Story
Situated in a police department of London station, Donny Dunn (the real Richard Gadd as himself) stumbles into the front desk to inform a bored, uninterested police officer that he is being chased. Donny had encountered a woman called Martha in the bar where he works, and she had begun to stalk him and had written thousands of emails per day to him.
When Martha’s fascination turns into full-fledged stalking, resulting in 41,071 emails and 350 hours of voicemail, Donny finds himself compelled to face up to previous traumatic events and accept responsibility. What happens next forms the basic premise of Baby Reindeer as dealing with Martha’s introduction in his life leads Donny to address with a sexual assault that occurred on the comedy network and larger concerns regarding his gender identity and position in the world.
Also, read:
Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Review: One Of The Finest Films Directed By Imtiaz Ali
Baby Reindeer Performances
Richard Gadd is oustanding in the role of Donny, a force to reckon with in each and every scene he features in, even in the scenes which show him during Donny’s most unpleasant moments. He expresses his most personal feelings on screen, establishing the stressful headspace of his inner fears, disbelief, and, finally, strength with a rawness and sincerity that is both courageous and intriguing. His performance is defined with periods of poignant sensitivity mixed with flashes of anger and resistance, resulting in a complicated depiction of a man dealing with the consequences of trauma.
However, one cannot miss the character of Jessica Gunning, whose powerful performance as Martha will make you feel really empathetic for her one minute and the take you by surprise the very next minute, making you tremble. The actual horror of the entire situation is heightened by really uncomfortable close-ups and interlude text cards that show various snippets and previews of the most disturbing text messages Donny receives from Martha on a regular basis.
Baby Reindeer Writing
The series begins with a remarkable mix of interactive elements, discourse, and audience participation, pulling audience members into Gadd’s universe with an uncomfortable and very moving proximity. Gadd carefully puts together fragments of recollection, trauma, and reflection using a nonlinear narrative framework, enabling the viewers to join him in putting together the pieces of the puzzle of his journey.
Baby Reindeer Conclusion
Within the sadness, there are times of amazing beauty and relief. Gadd’s journey serves as a tribute to the human being’s resilience, reminding us that even at the worst of times, there’s still hope for recovery and restoration, Baby Reindeer proves exactly that in its concluding moments making it an intense and captivating binge-watch over the weekend.
Reviews
Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Review: One Of The Finest Films Directed By Imtiaz Ali
Amar Singh Chamkila is such an incredibly made film. Here’s the Amar Singh Chamkila movie review that suggests it could be one of Imtiaz Ali’s finest films.
The film sucks you in right from the first scene (though the staging and editing of the opening scene could have been done a little better, it isn’t a major drawback, but it is a little jarring to see, the film has some minor errors when it comes to continuity in the blocking and staging of characters, but that is only one of the two minor problems of the film).
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Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Review: One Of The Finest Films Directed By Imtiaz Ali
Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Review: Writing and Technical Aspects
The narrative devices used in the film are extraordinary. It is just so refreshing to see such innovative styles being used in the contemporary Indian space. The screenplay begins with a simple narrative device, i.e. the non-linear structure, it moves forward with interludes from past and present but right after that, Imtiaz and Sajid Ali change the course of this narrative device and what do we get?
We are being presented with a narrative within a narrative and the story moves forward through a bunch of unreliable narrators who have their own thoughts and opinions on Chamkila, some are sweet while some are incredibly sour, now this is where things become even more fascinating!
Since they’re all unreliable narrators, Imtiaz and Sajid Ali employ a number of narrative devices within these two layers, ranging from the characters breaking the fourth wall, there are frame freezes, there are split screens, the concert sequences transition to actual photographs and footages, the film opens like a street play and moves backward for the song Baaja, transitioning to animated sequences and then to oil painted canvases and if that wasn’t enough, the film is then narrated in comic strips at one point! And all of it has been done with immense precision without being jarring or overwhelming for even one minute! Absolute genius.
One can also love how the film, right from the onset strikes a critical distance from the character, and also constantly makes you aware that you are watching a spectacle (similar to what you may have seen in classic films like A Woman is a Woman, Persona and Blow Up). The film never portrays him as the “perfect” person but as someone who feels he doesn’t have the moral compass or the right to deem things as “correct” or “wrong” (subtly integrating caste issues and the plight of Dalits) and for him, survival is what matters.
Also, read:
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Review: The Scriptless Experiment
Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Review: Gender Politics and Commentary
The film is never disingenuous with it’s treatment of the characters and narrative, objectifying men and women alike. The film captures the male gaze through Chamkila’s objectifying songs but it hits right back with the female gaze, striking the perfect balance of us, as people and as society. The socio-political turmoil surrounding Punjab becomes hauntingly connected with Chamkila’s life, so much so that Punjab starts resembling his tragic life. The film is hauntingly relevant even though it talks of events which have happened some 40 years back?
Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Review: Music
A.R Rahman’s music along with Irshad Kamil’s lyrics cast a spell over you throughout it’s runtime, ranging from being fun, melancholic, raunchy, sad, contemplative, accepting and sometimes pure rage, all encapsulated wonderfully in the film.
Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Review: Performances
Diljit Dosanjh has wonderfully played the title role, he is very sincere with the part, you are right with him from the first frame and you do not see him as anything else but Chamkila.
Parineeti Chopra has done a formidable job with her character bringing in the empathy and sensitivity that her character requires, she delivers exceedingly well.
Reviews
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Review: The Scriptless Experiment
At the onset, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan had everything a commercial Bollywood film would need, be it two of the biggest action stars of the country with Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, a director like Ali Abbas Zafar who has had a great track record in terms of number when it comes to the action genre, one of the finest actors of this generation in the form of Prithviraj Sukumaran. But despite having everything the makers would ever need, they forgot to consider the most crucial aspect of filmmaking—the Script.
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Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Review: The Scriptless Experiment
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Review: Writing
The plot of the film is the same as that of films like Pathaan, Fighter, Khuda Haafiz and every other film of the genre. There is literally no addition to the plot, but there is one difference. The films that we mentioned at least had establishments in terms of character development or plot points, but this film fails to do this, too.
Two buddying cops are on a mission to stop a supervillain who has nothing but vengeance in mind and well-equipped technology at his disposal to destroy India and make it a weaker country for its rivals. The premise may have looked interesting on paper, but the execution is lacklustre at best.
Starting from random explosions to characters revealing backstories without adding anything important to the story to random expositions about the dynamics shared between characters, which add nothing to move the story forward.
There is an instance when a character travels to Shanghai for an extremely important “intel,” only to be told that “Something big is going to happen,” and that is that.
Tiger Shroff’s character describes the character of Prithviraj as “Pakka virgin aur Psycho Hai”; in another instance, he says, “Yeh aadmi hai ya dandruff? Jaata kyu nahi?” the film boasts of many cringe-worthy dialogues such as this.
Also, read:
All India Rank Movie Review: Unconventional Brilliance
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Review: Performances
It is shocking to see Tiger Shroff being more comfortable and confident in front of the camera than Akshay Kumar. One cannot help but wonder why Akshay Kumar delivers such monotonous dialogues or why he is so stale in the film. He mostly keeps a straight face, but it is sad to see his terrible comic timing, especially when it is compared to Tiger Shroff, who has done a better job than Akshay, that too in comedy or acting. But it is quite understandable because of the writing and pitch of their characters.
Alaya F, Manushi Chillar and Sonakshi Sinha also have the same problem of being one-toned. They add nothing to the plot and are mostly mannequins. One may start to wonder why their characters were even integrated into the story or the screenplay, as they really did not have much to do.
Prithviraj Sukumaran would have been the saving grace of the film if he had more screen time or if his face had been revealed much earlier, neither of which happened. His face is concealed with a mask, his voice has been modulated to sound robotic, which makes it more jarring than terrifying, and he breaks into random monologues about a “pralay” every five minutes. Once the mask is off and you can see his face and expression, one can realise the missed opportunity that the makers failed to see.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Review: Action
Action is the one thing the cast and crew of the film have been boasting about in promotional interviews, and it is safe to say that it is an absolute train wreck. The frenzied camerawork is enough to give you headaches, the moves and cuts are all over the place, there are no match cuts from one shot to the other, the set-pieces are not exciting at all, the action choreography is a mess, and there is incoherence in every frame of all the action sequences.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Review: Final Thoughts
The film tries to sell us what has already been sold to us, on a much better platter, in a much better way, and there is absolutely nothing to look forward to in this film that may give you an adrenaline rush or make you excited for what is to come next, it is a disaster.
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