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The Archies Review: Zoya Akhtar Brings The Perfect Christmas Movie Date That Is Contemporary And Replete With Messaging

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Director: Zoya Akhtar

Cast: Agastya Nanda, Aditi Saigal aka Dot. Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Yuvraj Menda, Santana Roach, Rudra Mahuvarkar, Alyy Khan, Luke Kenny, Vinay Pathak, Koel Purie, Tara Sharma Saluja, Sheena Khalid, Delnaz Irani

Where: Streaming now on Netflix

Rating: 4 stars

Experiencing Zoya Akhtar’s sincere tribute to our cherished childhood comic feels deeply personal and, to some extent, cathartic. Having attended an Anglo-Indian institution and with my closest friends hailing from the community, Akhtar’s cultural portrayal resonates with remarkable accuracy.

In the initial stages of the film, a significant character recites a quote from William Faulkner: “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Throughout Akhtar’s promotional campaign, she was often presented with a question that implied she had the freedom to create any film with desired actors and technicians, since she is well-positioned at the top of everyone’s wishlist. However, the filmmaker certainly understands how to enjoy the process and at times, prioritize art for its inherent purpose rather than solely for profit—an ethos that radiates throughout The Archies. As another character aptly notes, “to make art, you must go in, not out.” This clarifies her intention to establish a captivating world, with seven new faces taking centre-stage.

It is the year 1964, and Riverdale, a picturesque town nestled in the hills of North India, bears the traces of English influences in its essence. Inhabitants of this town carry the heritage of English ancestry in their veins, yet their hearts resonate with India as their true home. The beating heart of this town is the community garden known as Green Park. It is the very spot where Archibald ‘Archie’ Andrews (Agastya Nanda), Ethel Muggs (Aditi Saigal aka Dot.), Betty Cooper (Khushi Kapoor), Jughead Jones (Mihir Ahuja), Veronica Lodge (Suhana Khan), Reggie Mantle (Vedang Raina), and Dilton Doiley (Yuvraj Menda) took their initial steps as infants, following their birth in 1947. The resilience of their friendship and the future of the town are put to the test when a suggestion is put forth to construct a hotel instead of the park. Amidst the challenges, they navigate matters of the heart on the threshold of adulthood.

Co-written with her collaborators Ayesha Devitre Dhillon and Reema Kagti, Zoya incorporates multiple themes and concerns, and let me tell you, it’s a delicate path to navigate. Yet, it’s an ingenious move to employ cinema in the form of a musical to convey a message to a new generation that appears to be lost in the pursuit of validation through meaningless reels and endless scrolling on Instagram. The fear of maturing and taking on adult responsibilities, the shared social responsibility, the need for free press and critique, conflicts between humanity and nature, and the imperative need to engage in politics seamlessly align within the narrative, without any element standing out conspicuously. Incorporating all these elements, the film takes a sweeping journey down memory lane to a time when our lives were brimming with innocence and idealism. It harks back to an era where our eyes sparkled with aspirations and ambition. The melodies crafted by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Ankur Tewari and The Islanders perfectly capture the essence of The Archies. From the attire to the production design overseen by Suzanne Caplan Merwanji, to the cinematography skillfully executed by Nikos Anaritsakis, you’ll find yourself irresistibly pulled into this world as it unfolds in front of you. One aspect that the film might be criticized for is its length, an aspect where editor Nitin Baid could have exercised more consideration.

Setting that aside, there isn’t a single false note that can be pinpointed in the performances delivered by the film’s young cast. Agastya effortlessly embodies Archie, a character that occasionally flirts, infusing idealism with his charm. Dot., as Ethel, is delightfully ambitious, and her character resonated with me the most. Vedang effectively portrays the neighborhood heartthrob Reggie, while Mihir, as Archie’s bro-dude Jughead, is hilariously on point. Suhana is aptly yet unconventionally cast as Veronica, a daddy’s princess with a heart. Khushi embodies the perfect girl-next-door who loves to bake. However, my favorite performance has to be Yuvraj as Dilton, the genius whose moment of truth will leave you deeply moved.

The Archies arrives on Netflix as an early Christmas gift, one that will leave you with a heartwarming feeling. It’s a film that you’d cherish revisiting with your friends on lazy Sunday afternoons.

Entertainment

Uorfi Javed Calls Out Fashion Influencer Sufi Motiwala For Sending Vulgar DM, Shares Screenshot Of His Texts

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Uorfi Javed Calls Out Fashion Influencer Sufi Motiwala For Sending Vulgar DM, Shares Screenshot Of His Texts

Actress and former Bigg Boss OTT contestant Uorfi Javed called out fashion commentator and social media influencer Sufi Motiwala for sending her vulgar and abusive message on Instagram. Besides being a fashionista, Uorfi is also known for her outspoken personality and she never misses a chance to name and shame trolls on social media. She often hits back at those who abuse or troll her for her pictures and videos.

On Thursday, Uorfi shared a screenshot of her good friend Orhan Awatramani aka Orry’s comment under one of her videos. Orry wrote, “Fu****g love her.” Uorfi liked the comment and even shared it on her Instagram story.

Minutes after she posted it, Sufi replied, “Uske l**e mein ghus jayegi kya?” However, Uorfi was in no mood to ignore his cheap comment and she reported his account.

In fact, she shared another story in which she stated that Sufi was supposed to send the message to someone else, however, he ‘accidentally’ sent it to Uorfi.

Uorfi’s post read, “So he was probably sending this reply to one of his friends, accidentally sent it to me only! Unfortunately for him I was online at that time and I immediately took a screenshot Koi id hack nahi hui hai iski, 2 min mein id vapas mil gayi. Chu kisi aur ko bana.”

Uorfi deleted both her Instagram stories minutes after sharing them, however, their screenshots have been doing the rounds on social media.

Meanwhile, another screenshot of Sufi’s Instagram story has reportedly gone viral in which he stated that he had no intention to sent her such a text. “I have texted her I had no such intentions and I would not text someone life that,” it read.

It also showed the messages Sufi had sent to Uorfi. The messages read, “Uorfi… please pick up my call… I genuinely have not sent this… PLEASE… I HAVE NO INTESIONS TOWARDS YOU. Please Uorfi, I don’t use such language. I just logged back into my account… Please, I will be ruined, I have never wished you bad, Uorfi.”

Sufi is a content creator. As per her LinkedIn bio, he is a fashion student from Delhi.

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Entertainment

Bigg Boss OTT 3 Fame Payal Malik Takes Legal Action Against Trolls After Receiving Threats

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Bigg Boss OTT 3 Fame Payal Malik Takes Legal Action Against Trolls After Receiving Threats

Bigg Boss OTT 3 fame Payal Malik has been a recent target of online harassment. It all began when a fake video involving her husband, Armaan Malik, and his second wife Kritika Malik surfaced on the internet. Being troubled and targeted by the trollers she has now taken a stand against the harassment and defamation she has been facing.

Taking to Instagram, Payal posted a video in which she stated that she is filing a complaint against those responsible for sending her threats and defaming her family. In the clip, she said, “Guys, there has been some trolling going on until now. I have no problem with that. When a person grows, they often face trolling first. However, now I am receiving a lot of threats. To those who are doing this, defaming me or my family, I am here to file a defamation case against you. Whatever happens next, you will have to face the consequences yourselves because you are responsible for this. I have provided the name here. You will receive the notice very soon.”

Payal’s choice to seek legal action demonstrates her will to preserve her and her family’s dignity, and also her own mental health. She thinks that by speaking out publicly about the devastating consequences of online abuse and defamation, she will increase awareness about the problem.

As soon as she shared the video on social media, many fans and followers supported her and lauded her courage to stand up against cyberbullying. The outcome will illustrate the larger issue of internet abuse experienced by public figures.

Earlier this month, Payal was the first contestant to get eliminated in the first weekend ka war on Bigg Boss OTT 3 house. Fans since then have been demanding her return as a wild card for the show.

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Mr & Mrs Mahi OTT Release Date: When & Where To Watch Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao’s Film Online

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Mr & Mrs Mahi OTT Release Date: When & Where To Watch Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao's Film Online

Janhvi Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao’s romantic film Mr & Mrs Mahi was released in theatres on May 31, 2024, and it received mixed reviews from critics and audience. The film is now set to release on OTT in July 2024.

When and where to watch Mr & Mrs Mahi?

According to reports, the film is set to drop online on July 26, 2024, on Netflix. The sports drama is directed and written by Sharan Sharma with Nikhil Mehrotra.

Plot

The film narrates the story of a married couple named Mahendra and Mahima who share nothing in common but their love for cricket. Mahendra, who failed as a cricketer, sees talent for the sport in his wife and encourages her to follow her passion. Mahima stops practicing as a doctor and decides to pursue cricket. In the journey of finding her true potential, she faces several challenges that she must overcome to bring out the best version of herself.

Cast

The film’s cast features Janhvi Kapoor as Mahima, Rajkummar Rao as Mahendra, Kumud Mishra as Hardayal Aggarwal, Rajesh Sharma as Benny Dayal Shukla, Purnendu Bhattacharya as Trilok Gupta, Zarina Wahab as Geeta Aggarwal, Yamini Das as Kalpana Gupta, Arjit Taneja as Sikander Aggarwal, Dheerendra Kumar Gautam as Guddan, Naman Arora as Gyanesh and Dev Chauhan as Vimal, among others.

All about Mr and Mrs Mahi

The movie is produced by Karan Johar, Zee Studios, Apoorva Mehta and Hiroo Yash Johar under the banner of Zee Studios and Dharma Productions. Nitin Baid has edited the film and Anay Goswamy has done the cinematography. Vishal Mishra, Jaani and Tanishk Bagchi have composed the music.

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