A desi Sherlock, identical twins, and an Italian bouncer — why not watch them all?

#9: Best movies and TV shows to watch in the first weekend of November

Nov 04, 2022

Best movies to watch in November with Retake

This sitcom from the 70s has been remade around the world, including in Hindi in India, but nothing could recreate the spark of the original. Or how about a YouTube sketch actor’s comedy thriller film that he co-wrote and starred in? And when you’re done with both these, try to look through this dense mist that appears to be eating anything it touches. Stay away from it or just go right in — your wish.

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Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya

Naveen Polishetty has been acting in films for a decade now, but it was some of the AIB videos that put him in the limelight. Of all his work, Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya stands out because it reveals his fine acting as well as screenwriting chops. The film will show you a fun, desi Sherlock at first, but don’t let it fool you as it is a thriller through and through. Don’t expect those typical twists and turns, but the story slowly unfolds into this deep rabbit hole that sucks you right in and leaves you appreciating those complex characters.

Following a tragic event in his personal life, Athreya (Naveen Polishetty) turns himself into a suited, booted, and hatted detective. While he may be a stylish agent, his agency — FBI: Fatima Bureau of investigation — could use better cases than the petty ones he’s solving now. When he mistakenly lands in jail, he meets someone seemingly friendly but gets framed in a conspiracy case.

Trying to prove himself innocent could turn fatal for Athreya, but like a true detective, he chases all the clues one after the other. On his quest, he even comes across his doppelganger from another FBI (still not the real FBI). Slowly connecting the dots, he finds that his tragic beginning was all a part of this elaborate criminal nexus that he must unearth now.

Watch on Prime Video

Watch on MX Player (free)

Mind Your Language

A British evening school. A meek English teacher in need of a job. And a class full of immigrants from different countries but with one thing in common: none of them know the first thing about English. There’s a north Indian woman who, after much effort, could finally utter “gud efening,” while the jolly Pakistani fellow and the Sardar are always bickering. Throw in some more Asians and unilingual Europeans, and you get chaos that you’d happily watch.

I burst out laughing when I played the little clip above — it’s so darn hilarious, even after 45 years! If you have anything to do with the English language, just do yourself a favour and watch this show. You can send me a thank you note later. The smart lingual gags will make you chuckle, and so will all these foreigners doing a lousy job of learning English.

Mind Your Language inspired several regional versions, including an Indian adaptation starring Pankaj Kapoor. But see, the original one is the real deal. Until recently, the show was only available as low-quality uploads on YouTube, but its three seasons are officially streaming on Sony LIV. The fourth season did come out back in the day but isn’t available to watch anywhere, except for a few clips on YouTube.

Watch on Sony LIV

Gol Maal

Not the new ones — the good-old Gol Maal from 1979. Back then, the stories weren’t made unnecessarily complicated to look impressive. Probably that’s the reason, they’ve aged so well, and we still want to sit with our family and watch classic comedies like Gol Maal.

A staunch traditionalist Bhavani Shankar is a simple man — the only thing he hates is the youth and all their ways. He also has a particular liking for those with moustaches. How else would you know if a man can be trusted?

Ramprasad Sharma is desperate for a job and finds no harm in pretending to be someone his boss would prefer — at least he tries. When Bhavani catches him going about as a regular young man, he births his own twin brother, who is everything Bhavani despises. Indeed, gol maal hai bhai sab gol maal hai. And as you’d guess, that doesn’t make Ramprasad’s life very easy.

Watch on Prime Video

Watch on YouTube (free)

The Mist

This movie is based on a story by Stephen King and is a lot of things all in one. It is a sci-fi flick that induces horror with some monstrous creatures and bares the ills of a cult. There’s not a single moment you aren’t rooting for the protagonist as he goes through several ups and downs. Until the last moment in the movie, you don’t know for sure if he has made it. And the movie’s ending is a little different from King’s original story, so even if you’ve already read the story, this ghastly adaption would still feel fresh.

In a small, tight-knit town, where everybody knows everybody, a crowd is forced to stay inside a convenience store. A dense mist starts to settle outside, visible from the store’s ceiling-high glass walls. Whoever dares to enter the mist comes out only as shreds. When those hideous creatures storm into this safe space, David must protect his little son, fight the opposition from within the group, and get to the other side of the mist. But not without making some life-and-death decisions.

Watch on Netflix

Green Book

Don Shirley, an African American pianist, or rather a perfectionist, has a tour coming up in the Deep South, for which he needs a bodyguard. Tony Lip, an Italian American, turns up for the job, and when he’s in his bouncer mode, nobody can dare stand against him. Interestingly, Don’s record label hands him a green book that lists all Black-friendly motels and restaurants he can (and probably should) visit, avoiding the rest.

Both are quite at odds with each other, and Don isn’t very pleased with his driver-cum-bodyguard’s crummy habits. But as they drive through America, they gradually accept each other’s ways. Don doesn’t mind touching those greasy chicken wings with his bare hands anymore. And Tony protects Don with all his might when he is kicked out of a Whites-only club where he was invited to perform. But that doesn’t keep the duo from hitting a bar and jamming with a local band.

I count Green Book as one of the better films I’ve seen so far. The light-hearted and comedic tone of the film allows it to handle a profound subject like racial discrimination with relative ease. What makes it even more riveting is that it’s based on the real friendship between a pianist and his driver and what they went through on their trip.