BY SACNILK

Series: 'Breaking Point Season 2' (Streaming on 'discovery+'); Duration: 45 minutes per episode ## Directors: Prabhu Asgaonkar and Manika Berry Asgaonkar; Cast: Brig A. Ragesh, Ustaad Saurabh Kumar, Lt. Gen. Ajay Kumar Suri, Brig S. Vadhera, Brig Kashyap, Lt. Gen. K.S. Brar, Maj Gen. S. Jha, Brig. PK Singh Sm, GP Captain M. Abhiman ## IANS Rating: ***1/2 ## The title 'Breaking Point' conjures a negative connotation in the minds, and thus for this non-fiction, four-part series streaming on 'discovery+', it is a misnomer. It does not show us the moment of greatest strain at which someone or something gives away, instead, it is an inspiring series that makes us aware that tough moments don't last, tough people do. ## It showcases the various training schools of the Indian Armed forces where young recruits are pushed to excel and become fearsome soldiers with determination, grit, and caliber. ## The first episode titled, 'The Artillery- Big Guns of India', takes us to the Artillery Training Centre at Nasik. Here we are introduced to ultralight and medium cannons of lethal power like 130MM, Bofors, ULH (Ultralight Howitzer) and M46, and Ultra Heavy artilleries like the K9 Vajra and Grad BM21 Multi-barrel Rocket launcher. ## At the centre, young cadets depending on their aptitude, are trained under an "Ustaad" to become a Gunner, Surveyor, Technical Assistant, Radio Operator, or a Driver. ## This episode mainly focuses on the roles of the Gunner and the Driver driving HMVs (High Mobility Vehicles). ## The second episode titled, 'Army Aviation Soldiers in the Sky', focusses on the Army Aviators who are a class apart. These Army aviators, also known as Helicopter Pilots, help the Indian Army to attack enemy troops or transport soldiers during surgical strikes. ## We are initially taken to the Combat Army Aviation Training School in Nasik, where we are informed how the greenhorns are trained and groomed to fly and perform basic maneuvers in the sky with helicopters like the HAL Chetak. ## Later we are transported to Jodhpur, where the rookies are taught complex and daring moves to fly, combat and hunt together. The training is imparted on the HAL Rudra, an attack Indian-made helicopter.## The third episode features officers of the Armoured Corps and is titled 'The Armoured Corps- India's Iron Steeds'. It is at the Armoured Corps Centre and School where its young officers of the cavalry are given technical and tactical training to be effective troop leaders. How they train on the T72 and T90 Bhishma (Tanks) forms the crux of this episode. ## In the final episode we get to see the making of a Paratrooper. How they prepare themselves to jump out of aircrafts, shoot and acclimatise themselves for urban warfare is a part of their training which is imparted to them at the Para Training School. ## With excellent camera work, each episode brings to life (the feelings of the first time and unforgettable experiences of the soldiers) what mere words of the talking heads cannot reproduce. The interesting part of the series is that it gives us in-depth information akin to a crash course on the various aspects of the subject and supplies nuggets of historical importance that may hold your interest. ## The series is moderately paced and engaging. The sound design along with the background score- elevates the viewing experience. The only issue is the voice-over of the narrator - Ross Huguet. His diction simply does not suit the Indian audience. ##

BY SACNILK

Film: '36 Farm House' (Streaming on Zee5); Duration: 108 minutes. ## Director: Ram Ramesh Sharma; Cast: Amol Parashar, Barkha Singh, Sanjay Mishra, Vijay Raaz, Madhuri Bhatia, Ashwini Kalsekar, Flora Saini, Rahul Singh, Ishita Deshmukh, Nivedeta Bhargava, Gaurav Ghatnekar, Pritam Kagne, Pradeep Bajpai, Liza Singh, Hetal Puniwala. ## IANS Rating: **1/2 ## At its best, '36 Farm House' is a satirical comedy on a superficial level that does not even work as a good, moral and cautionary tale. ## Delving on the universal theme of 'Some Steal For Need - Some Steal For Greed', the narrative proceeds to tell us the story of three sons trying their best to change their mother's will to their respective advantage. To what lengths they go to achieve their goal forms the crux of this story. ## Set during the 2020 lockdown, the film appears to be a quickie trying to pass off the story as a relevant tale of our times. ## The narrative begins with migrants returning to their roots. Jay Prakash (Sanjay Mishra), aka JP, a smooth-talking opportunist, and father of two grown-up children, with the help of Benny (Ashwini Kalsekar), the housekeeper of 36 Farm House, manages to wriggle his way as a chef, into the house of Eighty-five-year-old Padmini Raj Singh (Madhuri Bhatia) the owner of 36 Farm House and its 300-acre property who had bequeathed her assets to her oldest son Raunak (Vijay Raaz). JP gets the job purely because he convinced Raunak that he is a lone soul, unmarried, and with no family members to claim his own. ## While JP is nearly settling in 36 Farm House, he learns about Benny's devious plan of stealing from her employers. During the same time, his son Harry (Amol Parashar), who was an assistant to Designer Manish Malhotra by happenstance, meets the designer Antra (Barkha Singh), who is heading to her grandmother Padmini's residence. Together they come to 36 Farm House. ## To add to the chaos is JP's concerned and worried wife Shantishree, who lands up at 36 Farm House in search of her husband while an investigation into the murder of a young lawyer, who was deputed by Padmini's younger sons- Gajendra and Virendra, to get their mother's will changed, looms large over 36 Farm House. ## But the plot, instead of focusing on the three sons, factors in several other characters with their motive, thereby diluting the narrative and reducing it into a farce. The writing as well as the direction, are purely perfunctory, very mundane, and mediocre to digest. The humour too- only elicits chuckles. ## On the performance front, every actor is within their comfort zone. Therefore they deliver staid and routine performances. ## The songs in the film have the flavour of the 1990s and are so reminiscent of Subhash Ghai's repertoire. ## Mounted with moderate production values, the film is a bit disappointing since it comes from the stable of Subhash Ghai's Mukta Arts Ltd. ##

BY SACNILK

Film: 'The Royal Treatment' (Streaming on Netflix); Duration: 97 minutes. ## Director: Rick Jacobson; Cast: Laura Marano, Mena Massoud, Chelsie Preston Crayford, Grace Bentley-Tsibuah, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Cameron Rhodes, Phoenix Connolly, Amanda Billing, Jay Simon. ## IANS Rating: *** ## 'The Royal Treatment' is an outright fairytale with a modern approach. It is the oft-heard and familiar tale about a prince who finds his true love among the commoners. ## There's little to the characters beyond what we learn at the start and how a couple of additional details adjust our understanding of how we should feel about them. In this case, the stifled Prince Thomas of Lavania is in New York for his engagement party to the hotel heiress Lauren (Phoenix Connolly). He needs a haircut, and his butler mistakenly fixes him for an appointment with the hairstylist of a run-down beauty salon called Bellissime, situated in the suburb. ## When the spunky beauty salon owner Izzy arrives, the prince finds himself drawn towards her indomitable spirit. And, when his fiance's family is looking for a hairstylist for the wedding in Lavania, the prince and his butler promptly recommend Izzy and her team. ## After Izzy and her two assistants, Destiny (Chelsie Preston Crayford) and Lola (Grace Bentley- Tsibuah), arrive at Lavania, and when they both visit a down market area called "Uber die Gliese" which means, over the tracks, the prince realises that Izzy has a heart of gold. ## Soon both of them become aware that their lives are bound by family obligations and duties, and naturally, romantic sparks innocently begin to fly. But then reality intervenes, and how their destinies become further entangled forms the crux of this tale. ## Apart from the romance, which is built on tropes usually adopted in Disney films, the characters are cardboard thin, and the plot has no layers and appears frothy even while speaking about injustice, gentrification, and even the Gandhian principle of being the change you want to see in the world. Also, the conflict, handled in a very non-conventional style and modern approach- drains the film of any chance of complexity. ## On the production front despite being mounted with ace production values, the set and characters appear to be a deliberate mA¿lange of style, culture, and races. ## As for the performances, the film is Marano's canvas, and she excels in every frame. Massoud complements her with equal fervor. They are both natural and charming as individuals, but together, their chemistry is simply saccharine sweet and bland. The others in supporting roles deliver unfiltered performances that make them sparkle during their moments of on-screen glory. ## Overall, this film will appeal to those who love fairytale romance. ##

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Jan 20 (IANS) The trailer of the upcoming web series 'Rocket Boys' was unveiled on Thursday. The series stars Ishwak Singh as Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Jim Sarbh as Dr. Homi J. Bhabha, India's space pioneers.## It revolves around the lives of nuclear physicists Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. Homi J. Bhabha and follows their journey as they set out to create the Indian space program.## It takes account of several international and geopolitical factors that shaped the Indian nuclear program and Indian space program including the shortage of raw material after the Second World War, the industrial policy of India, and the Sino-Indian War of 1962.## The trailer starts off with establishing the excellence of the prominent lead scientists (Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. Homi J. Bhabha) and their camaraderie, progressing into the element of love before it sharply cuts the mounting tension between the scientist pair with a difference of opinion that would spiral over the next course of events in the story.## The series, which also stars talents like Regina Cassandra, Rajat Kapur, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Saba Azad, and Arjun Radhakrishnan in pivotal roles, has been directed by Abhay Pannu.## Created by Nikkhil Advani, Roy Kapur Films, and Emmay Entertainment, and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani, and Nikkhil Advani, the show will be soon available for streaming on SonyLIV from February 4.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Seoul, Jan 20 (IANS) South Korea remained the No. 2 supplier of popular content to Netflix in the fourth quarter of last year, US online media have reported.## According to What's On Netflix, a private online site that provides information on Netflix content, on Wednesday (US time), South Korean-made shows accounted for 11.8 percent of the top 10 films and TV series in the final three months of 2021.## Korean content thus ranked No. 2 for the second consecutive quarter after the United States, which accounted for 59 percent, reports Yonhap News Agency. The figures are based on data by the streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol, it added.## It marked a sharp increase from its share of 5.4 percent for the third quarter, thanks to the breakout hit 'Squid Game', released on September 17, and other hit series.## "The fourth quarter of 2021 is likely to be an outlier with the arrival of 'Squid Game', but Korean content has been on a slow march up the charts regardless of 'Squid Game'," the report said.## 'Squid Game' became the most successful Netflix show in history, with its total viewership reaching a record 1.65 billion hours in the first four weeks of its release.## Two subsequent series, the fantasy horror 'Hellbound' and the sci-fi thriller 'The Silent Sea', also topped Netflix's official weekly viewership chart for non-English TV shows.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, January 21 - The second season of Netflix's most popular show ever, "Squid Game" has officially been greenlit at Netflix. The Korean survival drama show proved to be Netflix's most profitable show ever. The first season cost $21.4 million for Netflix and it has estimated to deliver $891 million in "impact value".## Netflix's CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos has confirmed the second season. On Netflix's fourth-quarter 2021 earnings interview, Sarandos was asked whether there would be a second season of the violent South Korean survival drama.## "Absolutely," Sarandos replied. "The 'Squid Game' universe has just begun".## He put 'Squid Game' in the category of Netflix's burgeoning bouquet of entertainment franchises that the company sees as having growth potential outside the core streaming service, with live experiences, games, and merchandise. Sarandos called out "Bridgerton", the second most-viewed Netflix original TV show, with Season 2 set to bow in March, and "Stranger Things", with Season 4 slated for this summer.## Squid Game' is by a long shot Netflix's biggest-ever TV show, based on the streamer's calculation that subscribers worldwide streamed 1.65 billion hours of the show in the first 28 days of its release on the platform. In Season 1, 456 cash-strapped contestants are invited by a mysterious organization to compete in a series of children's games with deadly consequences.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Jan 20 (IANS) Bollywood actress, and former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen is elated on being conferred the International Association of Working Women Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a TV series for her show 'Aarya 2'.## The award is presented by the DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF), which is currently underway virtually starting from January 16 to January 30.## The actress credits the team of 'Aarya' for working tirelessly for the show that is now gaining global recognition. Sharing her excitement, the actress said in a statement, "I am overwhelmed with all the love and appreciation being showered on 'Aarya 2'. The entire team has worked strenuously to put together a work of art that would be loved by everyone".## "It's euphoric to win the International Association of Working Women Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a television series. I would like to thank the organizers of the DC South Asian Film Festival for bestowing this honour on me and the entire team. This is surreal!" the statement further said.## Talking about DCSAFF, the film fest which started in 2012 featuring Shyam Benegal's classic film 'Mammo' as the opening title, is currently in its 10th edition and will feature films from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Canada, and the US, and many regional languages.## The 2022 edition of the film fest opened with a book discussion with writer, director, and actor Ananth Mahadevan about his new book 'Once Upon A Prime Time' and the Nepali feature film 'Mahanagar/One Night in Kathmandu', directed by Mohan Rai. Filmmaker Vishal Chaliha's Assamese film 'Sijou' will be the closing film of DCSAFF 2022 on January 30.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Series: 'Bhaukaal 2' (Streaming on MX Player), Duration: About 30 minutes per episode## Director: Jatin Wagle## Cast: Mohit Raina, Siddhanth Kapoor, Pradeep Nagar, Bidita Bag, Bikramjeet Kanwarpal, Ajay Singh Chaudhary, Rahul Gujjar, Priyanka Lulla, Anil Dhawan, Saanyam Srivastav## IANS Rating: ***## There is no pre-defined meaning to the title, 'Bhaukaal', but colloquially in the local North Indian lingo, it egoistically means "in one's own style, pride, and honour" irrespective of the fact whether the person is really respected in the society or not.## That said, 'Bhaukaal 2' is a rustic, cop-gangster-based, crime-action drama created from the real-life incidents of Senior Superintendent of Police Navneit Sekera, whose name has been changed, to Naveen Sekera in the series.## Set in Uttar Pradesh's crime-ridden Muzaffarnagar during 2004, the story of 'Bhaukaal 2' takes off from where it left in its previous season.## Mohit Raina essays the role of the ace police inspector Naveen Sekera who makes it his life's mission to clean and eradicate the lawlessness that's plaguing the town and this season focuses on him eliminating the gangs of Shaukeen Khan and the Dedha brothers.## How he does this against all odds, be it personal or professional, forms the crux of this season's tale.## With the gangs displaying their oneupmanship, the six-minute prologue of the season shows us the anarchy that's prevailing in the town. And the narrative begins - After Shaukeen Khan's death, the onus of the gang falls on the shoulders of his wife Nazneen (Bidita Bag) and his brother Ashfaq (Ajay Singh Chaudhary). They try to hold their own while doing their business of gun-running operations with the unpredictable Dedha brothers till the situation leads the events to go out of control and Pintu (Pradeep Nagar), the oldest of the Dedha brothers, lets out his war cry, "Bhaukaal".## The plots of the episodes contain oodles of abusive vocabulary, gangland culture, and violence that intersects between the world of politics, law enforcement, and the helpless citizens of the town. There is nothing new or unusual shown in the series that the viewer is not aware of. But there is focus and an element of honesty in the telling. Naveen Sekera is neither glorified nor made into a larger-than-life hero. He is portrayed as an earnest and duty-bound officer, and thus the tale is inspiring.## On the performance front, every actor worth his salt delivers earnestly. Mohit Raina slips into SSP Naveen's boots effortlessly. Similarly, Pradeep Nagar as the aggressive Pintu Pehlwan, Siddhant Kapoor, and Rahul Gujjar as his younger brothers, Chintu and Gurjan, are impressive with their on-screen idiosyncrasies. So is every other actor in the series. All of them are natural and simply brilliant.## Technically the series is astutely crafted and mounted with ace production values. The action sequences too, are skillfully designed and brilliantly captured by the cinematography team.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, January 19 - Amazon Prime Video has revealed the title of its costliest television series, "Lord of The Rings" to be "The Rings of Power". Slated to premiere on September 2, 2022, Prime Video released a video announcing the title and unveiling the first look.## The title announcing video features a narrator's voice reciting the first few lines of the Ring Verse, a poem about the One Ring describing its nature and relation to the other Rings of Power and their master, Sauron. "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie".## The video opens on the camera moving through what appears to be canyons filled with mist. Cut to fire coming down the canyon, a river of molten lava visible below it. As the voiceover begins, the camera pulls back to reveal we are not in a canyon and the molten substance begins to fill up what might be symbols or letters. A wave of water flows over it, cooling it as steam is released.## The molten substance darkens and hardens, to reveal it is some sort of metal with symbols on the side of it. The camera pulls back through the mists to reveal the words “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” on a wood background.## ## Set thousands of years before both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, "The Rings of Power" will stream weekly starting September 2, and a second season of the series is already in the works. Developed by J. D. Payne, and Patrick McKay, the series stars Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, among others.## Filming of the series took place in New Zealand in February 2020. Prime Video had bought the television rights for "The Lord of the Rings" for a whopping US$250 million in November 2017, making a five-season production commitment worth at least US$1 billion.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS) Film actor, director, and screenwriter Farhan Akhtar get nostalgic about his film 'Lakshya' on the show 'Mission Frontline'. Farhan interacts with Col Bheemaiah P.S. (Commanding officer, 3 Rashtriya Rifle Sena Medal Bar).## Filmmaker Rohit Shetty and Farhan Akhtar will be seen together on the show. Both will be spending a day with the Rashtriya Rifle soldiers and J&K Police's Special Operations Group in Srinagar.## Farhan will be undergoing vigorous weapon training including static firing, neutralizing terrorists in the jungle, along with a search and destroy drill with Rashtriya Rifles. While interacting with Col Bheemaiah P.S., Farhan gets nostalgic about his film 'Lakshya'.## He says: "2003 is when we shot 'Lakshya' so before that I spent a lot of time in Ladakh mainly but now when I am here, I really feel very nostalgic about it. The time that we spent because you became a family and I think of them dearly today and I miss them a lot".## Farhan on weapon handling and firing training said: "Every time you hold this weapon in your hand, it definitely does something to you. When you know the reason behind using this weapon and also in what situation, it fills you with a sense of responsibility".## Farhan also opens up on what amazed him during the rigorous drills and said, "From training with them, to be their buddy, to sharing stories, I've learned this one thing. It is difficult, to sum up the life of a soldier in words. I had to live a day in their life. It's a day that is going to become a part of my stories".## He also said: "I have had an exceptionally interesting experience and I'm really glad I got to do this. It really opened my mind".## 'Mission Frontline' will be starting from January 20 on discovery+.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS) Filmmaker Subhash Ghai has talked about his inspiration behind composing and writing songs for the web film '36 Farmhouse'.## He said: "Since I became writer-director, whenever I start writing a script, I have had a habit of thinking of music also along with storylines and its characters and I used to suggest my poetic catch lines from my script to my lyrics writers and mood of the music to my composers.## "So, my songs became an integral part of the film itself. This process clicked in a big way. So, now while writing the storyline of '36 Farmhouse', I did write a few lyrics and started composing too as per the story and characters".## Ghai said it gave him an opportunity to test himself independently to write and compose three songs in a flow.## "Today technology helps you a lot in composing song and music. I hired a musician from Whistling Woods Music School, Abhishek Bonthu, who translated my vision and compositions into a song on computer", he said.## He added: "Then I requested two legendary singers Sonu Nigam and Hariharan to lend their voices to my songs and they did oblige me happily and made a lot of difference to my creation as a composer".## The filmmaker said that it was also four decades of learning from association with veterans like Laxmikant Pyarelal and A.R. Rahman and Anand Bakshi as great lyricists.## "Thirdly, I had also developed a knack of writing poems and songs during these two years of pandemic time".## The film '36 Farmhouse' is directed by Ram Ramesh Sharma and it features Amol Parashar, Barkha Singh, Sanjay Mishra, Vijay Raaz, Flora Saini, and Ashwini Kalsekar among others.## The film releases on ZEE5 on January 21.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS) Actors Pratik Gandhi, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Fatima Sana Shaikh will be part of the Indian adaptation of the popular American romantic comedy anthology 'Modern Love'.## According to sources close to the development, "Each of the actors is helming different directors' stories in the anthology. And it's an exciting lineup of directors and actors who have come together. The series was shot late in 2021 and is believed to be releasing soon on an OTT platform".## The anthology will be directed by some renowned filmmakers like Hansal Mehta, Vishal Bhardwaj, Anjali Menon, Alankrita Shrivastava, Dhruv Sehgal, and Shonali Bose.## The anthology series explores love in all of its complicated and beautiful forms, as well as its effects on the human connection. Each episode brings to life a different story that has been inspired by a newspaper column.## The Indian adaptation will have a similar yet fresh concept around the various stories being presented as episodes.## Stay tuned...