Hello, first things first. Tomorrow is Deepavali and you should be shopping today and not watching any kind of screen. Still, we’re not discounting that you’ve been hearing all the news about a slowdown in the economy and may want to tighten your purse strings and cut down on travel and trade and chances are that you’ve decided to fiddle with the smart TV’s (which is most likely bought over the internet) remote control and surf for some good shows. In that case, here’s us again. As usual, every weekend, our mouse-potatoes would scramble the digital streaming universe and dig out the best shows, movies and documentaries you must not miss. 

Here’s the agenda for this weekend:

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (Netflix, 61 mins)

If you are going to watch just one programme this weekend, let it be David Letterman’s popular interview show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. This edition, the guest of the show -- which in earlier episodes featured the likes of Barack Obama, Malala Yousafzai -- is our own Shah Rukh Khan. The candid chat has all the ingredients of a swashbuckling Bollywood potboiler. You have King Khan opening up on his life, career, friends, family, success and his business. Letterman’s witty, incisive chats explore the Bollywood stars hitherto unrevealed characteristics and conflicts. Directed by Michael Steed, the show is rated for ‘All’. Watch it with your family.

Dancing with the Birds (Netflix, 51 mins)

This is also Bollywood, in a curious way. May be more dramatic, erotic and filmy than any Bollywood flick you’ve ever seen. Dancing with the Birds, with incredible cinematography and the scintillating voice of legendary Stephen Fry, is a documentary made by the team that produced the BBC’s extremely popular Our Planet series. It takes a candid peek into the world of mating birds. Penetrating deep forests and idyllic landscapes, the documentary tracks how male birds plan, prepare and woo females and how they practice and perfect the art of avian love-making. There is a riot of interesting mating rituals. The documentary is directed by Huw Cordey.

Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates (Netflix, 3 hrs)

Despite the countless interviews he has given and profiles written on him, Microsoft founder Bill Gates is still a wonderful enigma. Inside Bill's Brain is a three-part documentary created and directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, etc) that tries to decode the man who has become a living myth. It explores the mind of the legend, right from his childhood and through his formative years, and finds out what keeps him motivated. The documentary also features his wife Melinda Gates. If you are a parent, there are a lot of takeaways for you in this, on how to groom your child the right way. And if you are an entrepreneur, even more; on how to skill yourself for the future and how to find your calling and nurture yourself to render it to a successful reality. 

The Kominsky Method: Season 2 (Netflix, eight episodes of nearly 30 mins each)

There is a reason why Chuck Lorre is called the King of Sitcoms. He created iconic shows such as the Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, etc. And in the first season of The Kominsky Method, aired in November last year, Lorre repeated his laughter magic. The Season 2 is no exception. Starring the usuals -- Michael Douglas, Alan Arkin, Sarah Baker and Nancy Travis -- the show follows an aging acting coach and his vagaries. Like most of the Lorre shows, this one also goes beyond the laughter and explores the society with surgical precision. Consider it as a social studies textbook that can make you laugh at every line, folks. Go, binge! 

Godfather of Harlem (Hotstar, each episode 50-odd mins) 

Let me warn you first if you are that kind of a person who can’t handle suspense beyond a degree, skip this. Because only four episodes of Godfather of Harlem is out by now. The American crime drama series is a prequel to the film American Gangster (remember the iconic scenes of Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe?). It was premiered on Epix a month ago, and Hotstar has brought it to India. The series has goosebump-inducing performances by Forest Whitaker who stars as Bumpy Johnson, a New York City gangster of the 1960s. The show is political, personal and is marked by great performances by Vincent D'Onofrio, Ilfenesh Hadera, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy and Nigél Thatch (as the controversial Malcolm X).

Happy Deepavali!

comment COMMENT NOW