The K War of Actresses on Netflix. Bollywood and Fabulous Wives

If actors dominated the film's opening at the theatres, OTT is all about women's power. Release after release, actresses rule the roost without big actors, enticing many viewers in this cricket, cinema, and now Internet-loving [3rd screen] nation. 

The 3rd screen [as I call it] has the popularity, the power of experimentation, without confirming scales as long as there are buyers, which am sure is, given the increasing percentage of Internet and mobile penetration. The supposedly, war of Khans, has now shifted to the K's literally, giving room to women-oriented content that was a big miss earlier. 

Netflix has quite a few women-oriented content in which women are central characters. But are they doing justice to the women's storyline or not? Or are they just films/content to encash on a strong subject, already hit formula, and a lead actress?

Let's talk about some of the latest releases starring some leading names, directly or indirectly, knowingly or just happenstance pitting against each other. It is Kareena Kapoor vs Kajol Vs Kriti Sanon vs Jahnvi Kapoor on Netflix's latest releases. See I told you K ruling the roost. So, who ruled the charts, I mean hearts?

Do Patti, Ulajh, and Fabulous Wives On Netflix Review

I have recently watched—Do Patti, Ulajh, and Fabulous Lives vs. Bollywood Wives S3. And while I watched all of them with low expectations except Do Patti and Buckingham Murders. However, none left an impact that even smaller series with low-budget do. Case in point- Laapta Ladies or even Mamla Legal hai.

The latter is not a women-centric series but is an interesting watch. I do not promote content based on central characters, gender or so. I prefer to watch good content irrespective of gender-bender, license to be remade, or approved tender. Tongue twisting but I hope you roger. 

Content is like a well-cooked meal that you have in jiffy or fancifully. You can have a meal preference or cuisine-craving. In most likelihood, you are likely to pick a well-laid table that may have some of the dishes that you like, dishes that are good for your gut, or dishes that have a good presentation. And when you dig the spoon in the pasta, it shouldn't taste like khichdi that wanted to be a Biryani. It shouldn't be served on a sizzler's plate but every bite is cold and stale.

The same goes for the content. Let's start with the hot flavor of the season

Fabulous Lives vs. Bollywood Wives S3

A swanky cafe that claims to be a hatted restaurant gets an interior makeover. Three pence, one the super richer, was the season's vibe and jibe. 

The S3 looked like Riddhima Kapoor's launch vehicle but became a grand red carpet for Delhi-based rich wife and entrepreneur Shalini Passi. [Read more on her here]. The former may need really good PR and a better season next time unless she chooses to mend ways and gain more humility cause Komolika is already taken. Neelam is doing this show to reduce her fans, it seems.

The season only got bigger, with on-your-face [over-the-top] styling and 3 new entrants. However, only one shone throughout and took thunder under everyone's nose, jawline, and heavily botox-ed faces.

Surprisingly enough, after this season, I started liking to watch Maheep Kapoor with her haute Kutura -Chena Bhatuuraa. Notwithstanding her GK about Delhi, she is real to watch. Bhavna Pandey is too subtle and sweet, Neelam is overbearing and Seema Khan should be replaced with ORRY. Hope that next season will have some other fresh, fire-brand wives to make it engaged and fresh. 

They can have Bobby Deol's wife Tanya, Mira Rajput, Maanyata Dutta, Priyanka Alva, Rukmini Sahay, Sarita Madhvan, and more. 

And maybe, they can add Salman Khan to the show, doing "Season Ka Vaar" to make it more interesting.  After he roasted a roasting shark in Bigg Boss, watching him roast them would it'd be fun.

Do Patti

Do Patti, as Khanna Aunty would have said -should have been re-titled "Do Patni or Do Pati", as the whole film is about it with an added dash of kajol-worshipping in the movie, which unfortunately fails to land. 

Ya, most of the Kajol films of late where she plays an advocate have almost the same narrative- to make a character around Kajol, mixing the trending topics but ending up making her look unyielding. She seems trying too hard in an Upper North cop role who despite ample experience and good intent, couldn't differentiate between justice and law. Though that's the crux of her character, it doesn't land as crisp. She looked too seasoned for the role and almost wasted in the film. 

Had it been the reverse-casting or role exchange, it would have made it more interesting but makers seem to have wanted to encash Kriti Sanon's glamor even though that makes the narrative unbearable and too chewy.  

Kriti Sanon is a beautiful actress but her green screen-merging twin sister role will leave you unimpressed. The film's only impressive or hard-hitting scene was the sister's confrontation scene in the cafe. When a heavily abused, devastated Sanon, dresses like her on-screen mother, reveals her traumatic state of mind that has been deeply mirrored by her mother's struggle with severe post-marital abuse and subsequent demise. If you are a mother and that too of two daughters, that single line will sum up emotions that a whole film failed to convey. 

Unfortunately, she was reduced to a mannequin in the larger part of the film that tried to build irrelevant assets including a Balam Pichkari kind of song which is like a mixed multi-cuisine khichdi, leaving with a bad taste. 

The only woman who wins your heart is- Prachee Shah.

Do Patti is a lazy film that exploits a sensitive subject. If you hate filmmakers exploiting your sincere emotions with a lazy, brain-fuddling, illogical storyline then you should avoid watching this film. It's like Race taking Reema Kagti for a quick tea date. The crockery is fancy but the brew is so listless that you wanna pick a tequila shot and wrap up the whole rendezvous as fast as possible.  

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Ulajh

Ulajh is like a Kardashian-obsessed Jahnvi Kapoor trying to be Nandita Das in Haute Couture.

For a long time, I avoided delayed watching this film. The film had an intelligent subject, an aura of suspense 'What's next?" but it shows the strong woman weakened by her own strength. It is. a kind of spy thriller where a young, strong woman at her career-defining post gets embroiled in a 'bob' trap, just a few scenes after she had blackmailed another diplomat in almost a similar manner. 

See, there is a stark difference between a street-smart Fatima Sheikh's SKY in Dhak-Dhak and a strong, intelligence agent who recently faced infidelity and turned indifferent. 

Yes, often humans do make such silly mistakes. governed by emotions but we had enough of it in Hashmi's movie. So, when you are watching an intelligent film like Ulajh in 2024, you want a few things, a little more well-seasoned.

Jahnvi Kapoor's super polished act gives semblance to being a momo with mayo, she looks the same and talks the same in all her films. Irrespective, watching her tete-a-tete with Devaiaah was cringeworthy enough to give away the plot. The film has many good actors including Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain, and Gulshan Devaiaah. 

Roshan Mathew who played Sebi Kutty, was the only delight to watch. Yes, this film has a male lead that wins your heart. What would be more interesting to watch would be the sequel of Ulajh, if there's anything planned. 

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MY Two Pence, none the riddler

It's all about bringing a fresh breath of life, never before content to make even a highly successful franchise work. Whether it is Stree, Bhool-Bhulaiya, or Bollywood wives. Seriously, the star power is diffusing, and the cinematic experience is ruling the roost. Multi-starrer is the way ahead. You need not turn out like Singham Again, with a large army of actors, looking a poorly stitched, rafoo than the patchwork, failing to live up to the hype. Why? cause you just cannot get above a formula that just can't merge with your story-telling and the tellers.  

Talking about Singham again or Bollywood wives, I watched Buckingham Murders too. While Kareena Kapoor [as always] and Chef Brar are wonderful, the film has nothing new to offer except the foreign locations.  

While there is a lot of other content including a half-seen- Raat Baaki hai series and Sikandar ka Muqqadar that I am planning to watch, I am looking forward to watching "Ghoonght ke Pat khol" the alleged original film that inspired Laapta Ladies. if you have a copy or know where to watch it, do let me know. 

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