Shershah, Navrasa, Cruella, CODA: What's streaming on Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Apple TV+ in August

The pandemic may have rendered most of us incapable of discerning one day week month from another, but for the promise of new content to stream at the beginning of every month.

Here is a comprehensive list of what you can watch in August on the streaming platforms.

Netflix

Cooking with Paris - 4 August

Here is the synopsis: "Paris Hilton can cook...kind of. And she’s turning the traditional cooking show upside down. She’s not a trained chef and she’s not trying to be. With the help of her celebrity friends, she navigates new ingredients, new recipes and exotic kitchen appliances. Inspired by her viral YouTube video, Paris will take us from the grocery store to the finished table spread - and she might actually learn her way around the kitchen."

Celebrity guests that are slated to make an appearance on the show are Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, Nikki Glaser, Saweetie, Lele Pons, Katy Hilton, and Nicky Hilton Rothschild.

Navarasa - 6 August

Produced by Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan, Navarasa has nine stories directed by Priyadarshan, Vasanth S Sai, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Arvind Swami, Bejoy Nambiar, Karthik Subbaraj, Karthick Naren, Sarjun KM, and Rathindran R Prasad.

It stars Vijay Sethupathi, Suriya, Arvind Swami, Siddharth, Prakash Raj, Revathy, Nithya Menen, Saravanan, Alagam Perumal, Vikranth, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Robo Shankar, Aishwarya Rajessh, Ramesh Thilak, Poorna, Riythvika, Prasanna, Simha, Gautham Karthik, Ashok Selvan, Sananth, Sreeram, and Vidhu among others.

Vivo - 6 August

"An animated musical adventure that follows Vivo, a one-of-kind kinkajou (aka a rainforest “honey bear,” voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda), who must deliver a song on behalf of his beloved owner and mentor Andres (Buena Vista Social Club’s Juan de Marcos Gonzáles) before it's too late," reads the synopsis.

The voice cast includes Zoe Saldaña, Michael Rooker, Brian Tyree Henry, Nicole Byer, Katie Lowes, Olivia Trujillo, and Lidya Jewett. Vivo is directed by Oscar nominee Kirk DeMicco (The Croods), co-directed by Brandon Jeffords (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2), and written by Quiara Alegria Hudes (In the Heights).

Beckett - 13 August

"Following a tragic car accident in Greece, Beckett, an American tourist (John David Washington) finds himself at the center of a dangerous political conspiracy – and on the run for his life," states the logline. Beckett had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival 2021. Directed by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, the thriller also stars Boyd Holbrook, Vicky Krieps, and Alicia Vikander.

Comedy Premium League - 20 August

YouTube personality and actor Prajakta Koli is set to host the Comedy Premium League, where comedians battle it out to tell the most rib-tickling joke. Four teams will take the stage and over six episodes, try to bag the winning title.

The four teams are — Lovable Langoors with Amit Tandon, Samay Raina, Rytasha Rathore, and Aadar Malik; Naazuk Nevle with Mallika Dua, Rahul Subramanian, Urooj Ashfaq, and Rahul Dua; Gharelu Gilaharis with Kenny Sebastian, Prashasti Singh, Kaneez Surka, and Aakash Gupta; and IDGAF Iguanas with Sumukhi Suresh, Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Joshi, and Sumaira Shaikh.

The Chair - 20 August

The Chair follows Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh), the Chair of the English department at a small university.

Actor Amanda Peet, known for films like The Whole Nine Yards and A Lot Like Love, serves as creator on the show alongside husband David Benioff and his work partner DB Weiss of Game of Thrones-fame. Peet has also penned and executive produced the six-episode series. Annie Julia-Wyman has co-written the pilot.

The Chair also features Jay Duplass, Holland Taylor, Nana Mensah, Bob Balaban, David Morse, and Everly Carganilla. Ji Yong Lee, Mallor Low, Marcia Debonis, Ron Crawford, Ella Rubin, and Bob Stephenson round out the cast.

Oh will also serve as executive producer on the show along with Benioff, Weiss, and Bernie Caulfield.

Sweet Girl - 20 August

In Sweet Girl, Jason Momoa essays the role of a devastated man who pledges to bring justice to the people responsible for his wife''s death as he protects his daughter (Isabela Merced), who is the only family he has left. The film is directed by Brian Andrew Mendoza, and stars Justin Bartha, Amy Brenneman, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Raza Jaffrey, Lex Scott Davis, and Michael Raymond-James.

Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes - 25 August

Post Mortem, the Norwegian drama, is directed by Harald Zwart and written by Petter Holmsen. The drama revolves around Live Hallangen, who is found dead in Skarnes, but all of a sudden, wakes up on the autopsy table and the questions begin: No one (really) dies in Skarnes - do they?

 

Amazon Prime Video

Kuruthi - 1 August

Kuruthi depicts a tale of how enduring human relations that transcend boundaries, struggle to survive trials of hatred and prejudice. The film stars stars Prithviraj, Roshan Mathew, Srindaa, Shine Tom Chacko, Murali Gopy, Mamukkoya, Manikanda Rajan, Naslen, Sagar Surya and Navas Vallikkunnu. The Malayalam-language thriller is directed by Manu Warrier from a script written by Anish Pallya.

The Courier - 2 August

According to Amazon Prime Video, "The Courier is a true-life spy thriller, the story of an unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) recruited into one of the greatest international conflicts in history." Directed by Dominic Cooke, the film also stars Rachel Brosnahan and Merab Ninidze.

Shershaah - 12 August

Fronted by Sidharth Malhotra, Shershaah is based on the life of Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra, and borrows its title from the martyr's codename.

The war drama, directed by Vishnuvardhan, celebrates the bravery and unflinching courage of Captain Batra, who fought till his last breath during the 1999 Kargil war. Also starring Kiara Advani as Dimple Cheema, the film is backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and Kaash Entertainment.

Modern Love Season 2 - 13 August

The second season of Amazon Prime Video's romantic comedy series Modern Love, is based on The New York Times column and podcast, featuring standalone stories of everyday romance.

The sophomore instalment will star all-new cast including Gbenga Akinnagbe, Lucy Boynton, Tom Burke, Zoe Chao, Minnie Driver, Grace Edwards, Dominique Fishback, Kit Harington, Garrett Hedlund, Tobias Menzies, Sophie Okonedo, Zane Pais, Anna Paquin, Isaac Powell, Marquis Rodriguez, and Lulu Wilson.

"The John Carney-created anthology show will bring to life a collection of stories about relationships, connections, betrayals and revelations," Amazon had said in a statement.

"In this season, love breaks all the rules. An old flame reignited. A test of friends vs. lovers. A night girl and her day boy. A romance with an ex's ex. A one-night stand. An impossible promise. A ghost of a lost lover. An exploration of sexuality," the official logline of the second season says.

Carney serves as writer, director, showrunner, and executive producer on the eight-episode second season. Andrew Rannells directed an episode this season based on a personal essay that he penned for the column.

Filming for Modern Love season two took place in Albany, Schenectady and Troy, New York, and Dublin, Ireland.

Nine Perfect Strangers - 20 August

Based on the book of the same name by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty, Nine Perfect Strangers is set in a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation.

The story focuses on nine stressed city dwellers trying to imbibe better way of living. Watching over them during this 10-day retreat is the resort's director Masha (Nicole Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine perfect strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.

The Jonathan Levine-directed show's ensemble cast also includes Melissa McCarthy, Manny Jacinto, Luke Evans, Tiffany Boone, Bobby Cannavale, Melvin Gregg, Regina Hall, Asher Keddie, Michael Shannon, Grace Van Patten, and Samara Weaving.

Kevin Can F Himself - 27 August

Canadian star Annie Murphy features in Kevin Can F**k Himself  as Allison McRoberts, a the classic sitcom wife, who escapes her confines and becomes the lead of her own life. The series breaks convention, and blends multi-camera comedy with single-camera realism. The dark comedy show, created by Valerie Armstrong, recently started airing in the US on cable network AMC.

 

Apple TV+

Mr Corman - 6 August

Written, directed, produced by, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Mr Corman follows the days and nights of Josh Corman, an artist at heart but not by trade. Things haven't been going his way lately – his lifelong dream of a career in music did not pan out and he finds himself teaching fifth grade at a school in the San Fernando Valley, his ex-fiancé Megan has moved out, and his high school buddy has moved in. Aware that he still has a lot to be thankful for, Josh struggles nevertheless through universal feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and self-doubt.

CODA - 13 August

Seventeen-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family – a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother (Daniel Durant). But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing, and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo). Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster (Eugenio Derbez) to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.

Written and directed by Siân Heder (Tallulah, Little America), CODA was presented in the US Dramatic Competition category at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, and went on to be honoured with an unprecedented four awards at the festival: the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast, the Directing Award, the Audience Award, and the Grand Jury Prize.

Truth Be Told Season 2 - 20 August

In Season 2, investigative reporter-turned-true crime podcaster Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) dives into a new case that deeply involves her childhood friend, media mogul Micah Keith (Kate Hudson). As developments unfold, their lifelong friendship is put to the ultimate test.

In addition to Hudson, joining for season two are series regulars Christopher Backus, Alona Tal, David Lyons, Andre Royo, Merle Dandridge, and Mychala Faith Lee. Returning cast includes Mekhi Phifer, Michael Beach, Ron Cephas Jones, Tracie Thoms, Haneefah Wood, Tami Roman, and Katherine LaNasa.

The first episode of Season 2 will premiere on 20 August, followed by new episodes weekly.

See Season 2 - 27 August

See takes place in the distant future, after a deadly virus has decimated humankind. In season 2, Baba Voss (Jason Momoa) is fighting to reunite his torn-apart family, and get away from the war and politics that surround him, but the more he moves away, the deeper he gets sucked in, and the emergence of his nemesis brother threatens his family even more.

The second season will introduce Dave Bautista as Edo Voss, the brother of Momoa's character, Baba Voss. The cast also includes Alfre Woodard, Hera Hilmar, Sylvia Hoeks, Archie Madekwe, and Nesta Cooper.

 

Disney+ Hotstar Premium

Obama: In Pursuit of A More Perfect Union (HBO documentary) - 4 August

Directed by Emmy-winner Peter Kunhardt, Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union is a three-part documentary series. According to a press release, the docu will chronicle "the personal and political journey of former US President Barack Obama as the country grapples with its racial history. Weaving together conversations with colleagues, friends, and critics, and interspersed with his own speeches and news interviews, the series begins with Obama’s childhood, and takes us through his perspective as the son of a white mother from Kansas and an African father, his spiritual formation informed by a generation of Black leaders, and his hopes for a more inclusive America."

What If…? - 11 August

What if Peggy Carter becomes Captain America, and Bucky Barnes fights a zombie Captain America while prince T'Challa from Black Panther becomes Star Lord? What If...? is Marvel's first animated series that will explore different possibilities in the 23 movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and will also feature voices of almost all the actors, who have emulated the various comic book characters.

Spin - 15 August

Directed by Manjari Makijany of Desert Dolphin-fame and the recently released Skater Girl, the English-language film is about an Indian American teen named Rhea (Avantika Vandanapu) who discovers her artistic side through the unique world of DJ culture. Deol plays the role of Rhea's father in the movie.

Work in Progress - 23 August

The Showtime series follows Abby as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago improv mainstay Abby McEnany co-created and stars in this uniquely human comedy series. The cast also includes Karin Anglin, Julia Sweeney, Theo Germaine, and Celeste Pechous.

Cruella - 27 August

Cruella follows the life of aspiring fashion designer Estella de Vil and explores how she became Cruella de Vil, a criminal. The film stars Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Emily Beecham, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, and Mark Strong among others.

(Also read on Firstpost —Is Cruella de Vil really evil? New stories are humanising Disney female villains with nuanced depictions)

 

Disney+ Hoststar Multiplex

Bhuj: The Pride of India - 13 August

Bhuj: The Pride of India, starring Ajay Devgn, will be released on Independence Day weekend on Disney+ Hotstar VIP. The film is billed as a 'true story of bravery, patriotism and determination' set in the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War. Joining Devgn in the cast are Sonakshi Sinha, Ammy Virk, Sanjay Dutt, and Pranita Subhash.

The period war-action movie follows IAF Squadron Leader and then Bhuj airport in-charge Vijay Karnik, played by Devgn, who reconstructed an entire IAF airbase along with the help of 300 women from a local village in Madhapar to protect the country.

The film is directed and written by Abhishek Dudhaiya, along with Raman Kumar, Ritesh Shah and Pooja Bhavoria.

It is presented by T-Series and Ajay Devgn Ffilms and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Ginny Khanuja, Vajir Singh, and Bunny Sanghavi under the banner of Select Media Holdings.

 

Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Netrikann - 13 August

In Netrikann, Nayanthara plays a visually-challenged woman who unravels a world beyond what meets the eye, in her quest for justice. The film is reportedly an official remake of 2011 South Korean movie Blind. The thriller is directed by Milind Rau, known for movies like romantic-comedy Kadhal 2 Kalyanam and horror-drama The House Next Door.

Produced by Vignesh Shivan under the banner of Rowdy Picture, Netrikann was supposed to arrive in theatres last year but was postponed due to the pandemic.

The film will be available on Disney+Hotstar VIP in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

 

ZEE5

Dial 100 - 6 August

Thriller movie Dial 100 will feature Manoj Bajpayee in the lead.

Directed by Rensil D’Silva, the movie is backed by Sony Pictures Films India in collaboration with filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra and Sapna Malhotra’s Alchemy Films.

Also starring Neena Gupta and Sakshi Tanwar, the movie unfolds in one night where one call turns everyone’s lives upside down.

Lionsgate Play

Spiral - 6 August

Spiral is the latest instalment in the splatter film franchise Saw, led by Chris Rock and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. The film, which released in US cinemas on 14 May stars Chris Rock, Samuel L Jackson, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols among others.

The synopsis: A criminal mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in Spiral, the terrifying new chapter from the book of Saw. Working in the shadow of his father, an esteemed police veteran (Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Rock) and his rookie partner (Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.

WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn - 27 August

The film follows Adam Neumann, the founder of the real estate company WeWork, who is ultimately forced out of the company after a failed IPO.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Danish Siddiqui's body was 'badly mutilated' in Taliban custody, say officials

The body of Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Reuters photojournalist who was killed in Afghanistan this month, was badly mutilated while in the custody of the Taliban, officials said this past week.

The revelation comes amid concern that the fighting in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have carried out an aggressive military offensive since the United States withdrew nearly all its troops, has become increasingly brutal as peace talks have stalled.

Siddiqui, 38, an Indian national who took some of the most memorable news photographs from South Asia in recent years, was killed on the morning of July 16, when Afghan commandos he had accompanied to Spin Boldak, a border district recently captured by the Taliban, were ambushed. Initial photographs from the scene showed Siddiqui’s body with multiple wounds but fully intact.

But by that evening, when the body was handed over to the Red Cross and transferred to a hospital in the southern city of Kandahar, it had been badly mutilated, according to two Indian officials and two Afghan health officials there. The mutilation was reported by an Indian website, Newslaundry, in the days after Siddiqui’s killing.

The New York Times reviewed multiple photographs, some provided by Indian officials and others taken by Afghan health workers at the hospital, that showed Siddiqui’s body had been mutilated. One Indian official said that the body had nearly a dozen bullet wounds and that there were tire marks on Siddiqui’s face and chest.

One of the health officials in Kandahar said that the body, along with Siddiqui’s press vest, had reached the city’s main hospital around 8 p.m. on the day he was killed. His face was unrecognizable, said the official, who added that he could not determine exactly what had been done to the body.

A Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, denied any wrongdoing on the part of the insurgents, saying that they were under orders to treat bodies with respect and to hand them over to local elders or the Red Cross. But the Taliban were in control of the area at the time, and some photographs showed what appeared to be the group’s fighters standing around Siddiqui’s body, which was then intact.

“Danish always chose to be on the front lines so that abuses and atrocities could not remain hidden,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia director for Human Rights Watch. “The brutality with which Taliban fighters punished Danish proves the abuses that he was documenting.”

Human Rights Watch and other watchdog groups say the Taliban have carried out a series of revenge killings in Kandahar province, where some of the most brutal episodes in Afghanistan’s last four war-torn decades have occurred.

The Taliban rose to power from the southern province in the 1990s, promising to end atrocities carried out by local militias. In recent years, Afghan forces led by Abdul Raziq, a general who was assassinated in 2018, were accused of ruthless tactics as they fought the Taliban in Kandahar. Spin Boldak, where Siddiqui died, was Raziq’s hometown. Reports have emerged of the Taliban detaining, and in some cases executing, people who had been associated with the general.

There are conflicting reports about what happened on July 16, as the Afghan special forces with whom Siddiqui was traveling tried to retake Spin Boldak.

Accounts from local officials, as well as Taliban members, suggest that Siddiqui and the Afghan unit’s commander were killed in a crossfire when their convoy was ambushed from multiple directions. Their bodies were left on the battlefield as the rest of the unit retreated, according to this version of events.

Some news outlets reported that Siddiqui might have been captured alive by the Taliban and then executed. Those reports could not be confirmed. One Indian official, however, said that some of Siddiqui’s wounds appeared to be from gunshots at close range.

Three days before his killing, Siddiqui posted a video on Twitter in which he said several rocket-propelled grenades had struck the armored vehicle in which he was traveling.

His body, in a closed coffin, was returned to his home in New Delhi two days after his death. The narrow alley leading to his house was crowded with neighbors and friends. Colleagues — many of whom had accompanied him as he covered some of India’s most tumultuous recent events, such as mass protests and the coronavirus pandemic — wept, hugged and consoled one another.

Siddiqui was buried late at night in a cemetery at Jamia Millia Islamia, the university in New Delhi from which he had graduated. At a candlelight vigil, reporters held pictures of him wearing his press vest. The text read simply, “Danish Siddiqui, Killed in Afghanistan.”

Mujib Mashal c.2021 The New York Times Company

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Tokyo Olympics 2020 Day 9 Live Updates: Satish Kumar to face Bakhodir Jalolov, Anirban Lahiri in action

09:38 (IST)

Caeleb Dressel joins elite club with fifth Games gold medal

The American star won his fifth gold medal of the Tokyo Games, finishing off one of the great performances in Olympic history. He joins an elite club of just four other swimmers ever with at least five gold medals at one games.

Dressel swam the butterfly leg as the Americans set a world record in the 4x100-meter medley relay with a time of 3 minutes, 26.78 seconds — eclipsing the mark of 3:27.28 they set at the 2009 Rome world championships in rubberized suits.

Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew and Zach Apple joined Dressel on the winning team, ensuring the Americans closed out the swimming competition with another gold in a race they’ve never lost at the Olympics.

Click here to read more of the report.

09:37 (IST)

Boxing - Men's Super Heavy

Satish Kumar's quarter-finals bout is about to start. He is taking on reigning world champion Bakhodir Jalolov. A win today will assure a medal for India.

09:24 (IST)

Gold - Men's Round 4

Anirban Lahiri records a bogey on the 12th hole, which means that his slow and steady slide down the rankings continues, he's now tied 44th in the 60-person field.

09:21 (IST)

Simone Biles withdraws from floor final, says USA Gymnastics

Gymnastics great Simone Biles has withdrawn from the Olympic floor final, leaving the American with just one more chance of competing at the Tokyo Games, USA Gymnastics said on Sunday.

"Simone has withdrawn from the event final for floor and will make a decision on beam later this week. Either way, we're all behind you, Simone," USAG tweeted.

Biles won gold in the event in Rio de Janeiro and was placed second in qualifying last week. Jennifer Gadirova of Britain will replace Biles in Monday’s finals.

Click here to read more of the report.

09:15 (IST)

Boxing - Men's Super Heavy

Coming up soon, Satish Kumar will be in action against Bakhodir Jalolov in the Men's Super Heavy(+91kg) quarter-final!

09:08 (IST)

Emma McKeon clinches seventh medal to create history as Australia win 4x100m medley relay

Emma McKeon made Olympic history Sunday in helping Australia upset two-time defending champions the United States to soar to the women's 4x100m relay gold medal Sunday.

Their team of Kaylee McKeown, Chelsea Hodges, McKeon, and Cate Campbell touched in a new Olympic record 3mins 51.60secs ahead of the US in 3:51.73 and Canada in 3:52.60.

It was McKeon's seventh medal in Tokyo, a feat no other female swimmer has ever achieved at a single Olympics.

Click here to read more of the report.

08:53 (IST)

Cycling - Men's BMX Freestyle

Logan Martin of Australia wins men's BMX freestyle gold! Venezuela's Daniel Dhers comes in second to take silver, while Declan Brooks of Great Britain wins bronze. 

08:47 (IST)

Athletics - Women's Shot Put

China's Gong Lijiao wins gold in the women's shot put with an effort of 20.58m! America's Raven Saunders wins silver, while New Zealand's Valerie Adams takes bronze.

08:45 (IST)

Golf - Men's Round 

Anirban Lahiri sinks a birdie on the ninth hole, but at the moment, that is far too little, and far too late. Udayan Mane completes Round 4 on +3 after a bogey on the last hole.

08:09 (IST)

With victory over PV Sindhu, Tai Tzu-Ying ends the big-stage jinx

For once, Tai Tzu-Ying proved incapable of deception.

After her 40-minute victory over PV Sindhu in the women’s singles semi-final at the Tokyo Olympics, the Taiwanese player could not hide her emotions, breaking into uncontrollable laughter several times in her media interaction.

Her victory over Sindhu had helped her get the monkey off her back, after all: no longer will history remember her as a player who could not medal at the big stage of the Olympic Games or the World Championships. Her record in the two big competitions before Tokyo was unfair to a player of her calibre. Never made it past the last-16 at the Olympics in two attempts, London 2012 and Rio 2016. Never made it past the quarter-final in six attempts at the Worlds.

She shrugged off that baggage and Sindhu’s challenge in two mesmerising games on Saturday in a clash worthy of a finale.

Click here to read more of Amit Kamath's analysis of the badminton women's singles semi-final.

07:40 (IST)

Golf - Men's Round 4

Another bogey for Anirban Lahiri, this time on the fourth hole, and he continues to fall in the rankings. Udayan Mane, meanwhile, has par, birdie and bogey on the 11th, 12th and 13th holes.

06:52 (IST)

Golf - Men's Round 4

Not great from Anirban Lahiri, his bogey on the second hole sees him slip down the rankings. Udayan Mane shoots par on the ninth and tenth holes.

06:26 (IST)

Equestrian

Fouaad Mirza is currently 16th in the Equestrian eventing.

Mirza has 39.20 penalty points so far with 11.20 of those coming in cross-country.

06:22 (IST)

Golf - Men's Round 4

05:22 (IST)

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the ninth day of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Big day ahead of us with PV Sindhu setting her sights on a second consecutive Olympic medal, and the India men’s hockey team facing Great Britain in the quarter-finals, and more.

Preview Day 9: Saturday was a day of mixed emotions for the Indian contingent at Tokyo Olympics. While there was joy in the form of the Indian women’s hockey team and discus thrower Kamalpreet Singh, the major disappointments for the day were the losses of World No 1 Amit Panghal and star shuttler PV Sindhu.

The Indian women’s hockey team scripted history by securing a quarter-final berth for the first time in 41 years, with a 4-3 win over South Africa.

Kamalpreet sent the discus to a distance of 64m in her third and final attempt to be one of the only two automatic qualifiers for the final round. The final will be held on 2 August.

Panghal was handed a stunning 1-4 loss by Rio Games silver-medallist Yuberjen Martinez.

India’s hopes of securing the first-ever Olympic gold in badminton were quashed on Saturday, PV Sindhu still has a chance to secure a bronze on Sunday against China's He Bing Jiao.

Elsewhere, the Indian men’s hockey team will take on Great Britain in the quarter-final. Golfers Anirban Lahiri and Udayan Mane will compete for India in the men’s Round 4.

Equestrian Fouaad Mirza will be in action in the individual cross country. Also watch out for boxer Satish Kumar, who will compete in the men’s 91kg quarter-final.  You can check the complete Day 9 schedule here.

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Tokyo Olympics 2020: With victory over PV Sindhu, Tai Tzu-Ying ends the big-stage jinx

For once, Tai Tzu-Ying proved incapable of deception.

After her 40-minute victory over PV Sindhu in the women’s singles semi-final at the Tokyo Olympics, the Taiwanese player could not hide her emotions, breaking into uncontrollable laughter several times in her media interaction.

Her victory over Sindhu had helped her get the monkey off her back, after all: no longer will history remember her as a player who could not medal at the big stage of the Olympic Games or the World Championships. Her record in the two big competitions before Tokyo was unfair to a player of her calibre. Never made it past the last-16 at the Olympics in two attempts, London 2012 and Rio 2016. Never made it past the quarter-final in six attempts at the Worlds.

She shrugged off that baggage and Sindhu’s challenge in two mesmerising games on Saturday in a clash worthy of a finale.

The match started with Sindhu asserting control of the first game, taking a 5-2 lead, then extending it to 7-3. The highlight of this passage of play was a drop shot the Indian played with a delicate flick of her wrist which had Tai sprawled on the floor as she made a flailing attempt to reach the shuttle.

Code cracked‼️

9⃣ years after her Olympic debut, Tai Tzu Ying will finally contest a gold medal match. #RaiseARacket #Tokyo2020 #Olympics2020

@badmintonphoto pic.twitter.com/7N3b45jKzK

— BWF (@bwfmedia) July 31, 2021

Tai, though, was not going to be left chasing Sindhu’s shadow for long. She started making the Indian run around the court, placing drop shots to her forehand corner then lobbing the shuttle long and finally killing points off with attacks to Sindhu’s body.

Tai got more success by attacking Sindhu’s body than Akane Yamaguchi did in their quarter-final on Friday. Sindhu showed just how much she had worked on her defence over the past couple of months against the relentless Yamaguchi. But her Taiwanese opponent proved to be a much sterner test of character. She wasn’t exactly hammering down smashes at Sindhu’s body, preferring instead to hit pinpoint shots which needed Sindhu to contort her body awkwardly to return the shots.

Once the scores were level at 11-11, the contest became a brawl, with the two shuttlers locked in close combat till 17-17. That’s when Tai got a slice of good fortune. A shot from her hit the netcord and fell unkindly into Sindhu’s side of the court. From there, the Taiwanese took the first game.

“If I had won that point, maybe the result would have been different,” Sindhu told reporters later. “I should have taken the first game, that’s what I felt. It was not that easy, but it was crucial. If I had won the first game, it would have been different.”

Sindhu, though, did not become what she has by conceding easily. She started the second game by earning her first two points with down-the-line smashes. Tai responded with a down-the-line smash of her own to draw level at 2-2.

The pair was last seen standing at the same spot at 4-4, before Tai hit a unreturnable drop shot and vroomed away with the lead. Most of the points Tai had conceded in the match were a result of her own errors. Some of these were at critical moments, such as with the score at 9-5 and 10-6, where she sent the shuttle into the net without Sindhu forcing it out of her.

Yet, both Sindhu and the Taiwanese shuttler agreed that she had been flawless in the entire match.

“Think I gave my best performance today,” Tai told journalists later. “I didn’t make any major mistakes today. I’m a player who makes mistakes from my side most of the times. That’s why I have pressure from within. Today I reduced them. That’s why I was not under as much pressure as I used to be.”

At one point, she was playing in such a trance — otherwise known as zone to lesser mortals — that she did not even know that she had hit a 358 kmph smash in the match.

She had more consequential things on her mind.

Hours after her entry into the final, her compatriots, Yang Lee and Chi-Lin Wang, demolished a Chinese pair to win the men’s doubles title, Taiwan’s first Olympics medal in badminton in 29 years.

On Sunday, Tai can emulate that, with China’s Chen Yu Fei standing in her path.

“Tomorrow will be a very evenly-matched contest and a difficult game because she is a very solid player,” she said before saying, “I’m not nervous about the next game.”

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Highlights, West Indies vs Pakistan, 2nd T20I in Guyana, Full Cricket Score: Visitors win by seven wickets

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Toss report: West Indies captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat in the second T20 International of the four-match series at the National Stadium in Guyana on Saturday.

Following the rain-ruined first match in Barbados three days earlier, both teams have been forced to make changes because of injuries.

Lendl Simmons, who retired hurt after being struck on the neck by a short ball from debutant Mohammad Wasim on Wednesday, has been replaced at the top of the home side's batting order by Andre Fletcher.

West Indies have also drafted in Romario Shepherd in place of Andre Russell.

Pakistan middle-order batsman Azam Khan was struck on the helmet at practice in Guyana and has been ruled out of the next two matches of the series.

His place goes to Sohaib Maqsood in the only change to the tourists' line-up.

Teams: West Indies - Kieron Pollard (captain), Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wicketkeeper), Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Hayden Walsh, Akeal Hosein.

Pakistan - Babar Azam (captain), Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Sohaib Maqsood, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir.

Umpires: Leslie Reifer (WIS), Patrick Gustard (WIS)

Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)

With inputs from AFP

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Tokyo Olympics 2020 Day 9 Live Updates: Udayan Mane, Anirban Lahiri in action

06:26 (IST)

Equestrian

Fouaad Mirza is currently 16th in the Equestrian eventing.

Mirza has 39.20 penalty points so far with 11.20 of those coming in cross-country.

06:22 (IST)

Golf - Men's Round 4

05:22 (IST)

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the ninth day of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Big day ahead of us with PV Sindhu setting her sights on a second consecutive Olympic medal, and the India men’s hockey team facing Great Britain in the quarter-finals, and more.

Preview Day 9: Saturday was a day of mixed emotions for the Indian contingent at Tokyo Olympics. While there was joy in the form of the Indian women’s hockey team and discus thrower Kamalpreet Singh, the major disappointments for the day were the losses of World No 1 Amit Panghal and star shuttler PV Sindhu.

The Indian women’s hockey team scripted history by securing a quarter-final berth for the first time in 41 years, with a 4-3 win over South Africa.

Kamalpreet sent the discus to a distance of 64m in her third and final attempt to be one of the only two automatic qualifiers for the final round. The final will be held on 2 August.

Panghal was handed a stunning 1-4 loss by Rio Games silver-medallist Yuberjen Martinez.

India’s hopes of securing the first-ever Olympic gold in badminton were quashed on Saturday, PV Sindhu still has a chance to secure a bronze on Sunday against China's He Bing Jiao.

Elsewhere, the Indian men’s hockey team will take on Great Britain in the quarter-final. Golfers Anirban Lahiri and Udayan Mane will compete for India in the men’s Round 4.

Equestrian Fouaad Mirza will be in action in the individual cross country. Also watch out for boxer Satish Kumar, who will compete in the men’s 91kg quarter-final.  You can check the complete Day 9 schedule here.

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Tokyo Olympics 2020: When and where to watch PV Sindhu vs He Bing Jiao bronze medal match live telecast on tv and online in India

PV Sindhu's quest for gold at the Olympic Games ended on Saturday when she suffered a defeat at the hands of Tai Tzu-ying in the semi-final.

The Indian shuttler, however, has a chance to make it two medals in two games as she takes on China's He Bing Jiao in the bronze medal match. Sindhu had won the silver in Rio in 2016 after losing to Spain's Carolina Marin 19-21, 21-12, 21-15 in a gruelling encounter.

In the semis against Tai in Tokyo, Sindhu was overpowered by the Taiwan shuttler as she lost 21-18, 21-12. Sindhu had started well and was leading 11-8 at the break in Game 1 but then Tai bounced back strongly to take the first game and then continued her momentum in the second game to reign supreme.

He Bing Jiao on the other hand went down fighting to Chen Yu Fei in the other semi-final. In a match that lasted 79 minutes, Chen overcame her Chinese counterpart 2-1 to make it to the finals.

Here's all you need to know about the bronze medal match between PV Sindhu and He Bing Jiao:

When will the PV Sindhu vs He Bing Jiao women's singles bronze medal match start?

The badminton women's singles bronze medal match between PV Sindhu and He Bing Jiao will take place on 1 August.

Where will the PV Sindhu vs He Bing Jiao women's bronze medal match take place?

The bronze medal match between Sindhu and He Bing Jiao will take place at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in the Japanese capital city.

What time will the PV Sindhu vs He Bing Jiao bronze medal match begin?

The bronze medal match between Sindhu and He Bing Jiao will begin at 5 pm IST.

Where can I watch the PV Sindhu vs He Bing Jiao bronze medal match in India on TV?

You can watch Tokyo Olympics 2020 events on Sony TEN 1 HD/SD, Sony TEN 2 HD/SD, and Sony TEN 3 HD/SD.

Where can I watch the PV Sindhu vs He Bing Jiao bronze medal match online in India?

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 events broadcast will be available online on SonyLiv. You can also follow it live on our blog at firstpost.com.

Click here to check the Indian contingent's schedule at Tokyo 2020 

Click here to check the complete list of Indian athletes at Tokyo 2020

Click here for our complete Tokyo 2020 coverage

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Jamaica complete women's 100m sweep as India defeat South Africa in women's hockey to keep medal hopes alive

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Tokyo Olympics 2020: Twitter consoles PV Sindhu after semi-final loss, lauds 'tactically astute' Tai Tzu-ying

PV Sindhu's hopes of becoming the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic gold medal came to a screeching halt on Saturday as the Hyderabad shuttler was beaten in straight games by Tai Tzu-ying in the women's singles semi-final clash in Tokyo.

Sindhu, who had won silver in the Rio Games five years ago after losing to Carolina Marin in the final, put up a spirited display early on in her 19th meeting with the player from Taiwan as she led 11-8 at the break in Game 1. Tzu-ying, who entered the contest with a superior head-to-head advantage, was a different beast thereafter as she took the first game a 21-18. Tzu-ying was even more unstoppable in the second game as the world No 1 confirmed her maiden Olympic medal by taking the second game 21-12.

Tzu-ying faces China's Chen Yufei in the gold medal match while Sindhu faces another Chinese He Bing Jiao in the bronze medal playoff. Both games will take place on 1 August at Tokyo's Musashino Forest Sports Plaza.

Here we take a look at some of the reactions pouring in after Sindhu's loss to Tzu-ying in the semi-final:

 

💔💔 for Pooja Rani and Sindhu ! We are going to come back stronger !

— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) July 31, 2021

   

PV Sindhu is one of the best athletes we have produced ever. — Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) July 31, 2021

 

 

In eyes of experts and lay men like me too, Sindhu was playing her best! Honestly She looked brilliant in all departments. Then came TTY! But delightful #badminton from both

— Joydeep Karmakar OLY (@Joydeep709) July 31, 2021

 

Exhilarating performance by world no.1 Tai Tzu — delectable touch, great deception in strokeplay — to beat @Pvsindhu1. Tai had beaten Sindhu thrice in succession leading up to this match. Bronze medal hope for India still alive — Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) July 31, 2021

 

Sindhu was excellent till late in the first set but Tai was so tactically astute and magical at the net. Hardly allowed Sindhu the power game that is her forte. Well, hopefully, a medal of a different colour now.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 31, 2021

 

When the history of 75 years of post independence Indian sport is written, #PVSindhu will be seen as our greatest woman athlete. Yes, a bit heartbroken @Pvsindhu1 but you have given it your best shot. So thank you: Olympic silver and World Cup winner! Now for a podium finish!👍 — Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) July 31, 2021

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LIVE Cricket Score, West Indies vs Pakistan, 2nd T20I in Guyana

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Toss report: West Indies captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat in the second T20 International of the four-match series at the National Stadium in Guyana on Saturday.

Following the rain-ruined first match in Barbados three days earlier, both teams have been forced to make changes because of injuries.

Lendl Simmons, who retired hurt after being struck on the neck by a short ball from debutant Mohammad Wasim on Wednesday, has been replaced at the top of the home side's batting order by Andre Fletcher.

West Indies have also drafted in Romario Shepherd in place of Andre Russell.

Pakistan middle-order batsman Azam Khan was struck on the helmet at practice in Guyana and has been ruled out of the next two matches of the series.

His place goes to Sohaib Maqsood in the only change to the tourists' line-up.

Teams: West Indies - Kieron Pollard (captain), Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wicketkeeper), Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Hayden Walsh, Akeal Hosein.

Pakistan - Babar Azam (captain), Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Sohaib Maqsood, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir.

Umpires: Leslie Reifer (WIS), Patrick Gustard (WIS)

Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)

With inputs from AFP

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Tokyo Olympics 2020: 1 August, Day 9 schedule of Indian athletes

While India’s hopes of securing the first ever Olympic gold in badminton were quashed on Saturday, PV Sindhu still has a chance to secure a bronze on Sunday against China's He Bing Jiao. The match is slated to take place in the evening.

Also in action will be the Indian men’s hockey team as they take on Great Britain in the quarter-final.

Two golfers – Anirban Lahiri and Udayan Mane – will compete for India in the men’s Round 4.

While equestrian Fouaad Mirza will be in action in the individual cross country, wrestler Satish Kumar will also compete in the men’s 91kg quarter-final.

Check out the full schedule of Indian athletes in action on Day 9:

Golf: Anirban Lahiri and Udayan Mane in Men's Individual Stroke Play Round 4: 04:00am IST.

Equestrian: Fouaad Mirza in Eventing Cross Country Team and Individual: 04:15am IST

Boxing: Satish Kumar vs Bakhodir Jalolov (Uzbekistan) in men's super heavy (+91kg) quarterfinals: 9:36am IST

Badminton: PV Sindhu vs He Bing Jiao (China) in women's singles bronze medal play-off match: 5pm IST

Hockey: India vs Great Britain in Men's quarter-final: 5:30pm IST.

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Judge recommends €14.5 mn tax evasion trial for Shakira in Spain, says probe found 'sufficient evidence'

Spanish Judge Marco Juberías, investigating the alleged tax fraud by Colombian musician Shakira, recommended on Thursday that the case go to trial, after concluding there is evidence that the pop star could have avoided her fiscal obligations to the state. He wrote that his three-year probe found there existed “sufficient evidence of criminality” for the case to go to a trial judge. The decision can be appealed.

Shakira faces a possible fine and even jail time if found guilty of tax evasion. However, a judge can waive prison time for first-time offenders if they are sentenced to less than two years behind bars.

Prosecutors charged the singer in December 2019 with not paying 14.5 million euros ($16.4 million) in taxes in Spain between 2012 and 2014, when she lived mostly in the country despite having an official residence in Panama.

Shakira’s public relations firm has stated that she had immediately paid what she owed once she was informed of the debt by the Tax Office. She denied any kind of wrongdoing when she testified in June 2019.

(With inputs from The Associated Press)

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Prince's 2010 album Welcome 2 America still resonates with current times with take on racism, exploitation

It’s almost as if Prince knew what lay ahead.

In 2010, Prince recorded but then shelved a finished album, Welcome 2 America, which was full of bleak reflections on the state of the nation. It arrives 30 July as the Prince estate continues to open up Prince’s vault of unreleased music since his death in 2016. Unlike much of what has emerged so far, it’s a complete, stand-alone album — a disillusioned statement that sounds all too fitting in 2021.

Welcome 2 America was made two years into the Obama administration, and Prince didn’t see much progress. In the title track, women sing, “Hope and change”; then Prince dryly observes, “Everything takes forever / The truth is a new minority.”

The songs take on racism, exploitation, disinformation, celebrity, faith and capitalism: “21st century, it’s still about greed and fame,” Prince sings in Running Game (Son of a Slave Master). Eleven years after the album was recorded — as the 2020s have brought bitter divisiveness, blatant racism, battles over history and a digital hellscape of hyped consumption and algorithmically boosted lies — Prince doesn’t sound pessimistic, just matter-of-fact.

Welcome 2 America wasn’t made casually. It’s one of Prince’s more collaborative albums, constructed in discrete stages with different cohorts of musicians. Prince started out recording instrumental tracks — without vocals or lyrics — live in the studio with Tal Wilkenfeld on bass and Chris Coleman on drums. Then he worked with singers Shelby J (for Johnson), Liv Warfield and Elisa Fiorillo, sharing leads and harmonies with them. Morris Hayes, billed as Mr Hayes, added keyboards and intricately jazzy simulated string and horn arrangements, earning credit as co-producer for six of the album’s 12 songs. Prince also did some final tweaking, including a rewrite of the title track.

But Prince had already released one album in 2010 — 20Ten — and his attention turned to forming a new live band (including Hayes and the three backup singers) that would tour the world for the next two years. The American portion was called the Welcome 2 America tour, but the album stayed unreleased. (The deluxe version of Welcome 2 America includes a Blu-ray of a jubilant 2011 arena show in Inglewood, California)

Welcome 2 America makes its way from the bitter derision of its title track toward a guarded optimism, with detours — it’s a Prince album, after all — into physical pleasures. The title song telegraphs its mood with its first notes: a snake hiss of cymbals and a bass line that inches upward, skulks back down and then plunges further, against a backdrop of ambiguous chords and synthesizer swoops. The track edges toward funk, and the women sing, but Prince doesn’t; he simply talks, deadpan, about information overload, high-tech distractions, privilege, fame and culture, asking, “Think today’s music will last?” Singing in harmony, the women amend an American motto to “Land of the free, home of the slave.”

In the cryptic 1010 (Rin Tin Tin), Prince asks, “What could be stranger than the times we’re in?” over skeletal, choppy piano chords, and he goes on to decry “too much information” and a “wilderness of lies.” With Running Game (Son of a Slave Master), Prince confronts a microcosm of rich vs. poor: the way the music business takes advantage of newcomers.

Yet as usual in Prince’s catalogue, Welcome 2 America balances hard insights with visceral joys. He sings about pointless conflicts over religion in 'Same Page, Different Book' — “So much more in common if you’d only look,” he insists — but his lyrics about rocks, missiles and car bombs arrive backed by crisp syncopations. In '1000 Light Years From Here,' he puts breezy Latin funk behind reminders of Black perseverance, touching on the subprime mortgage crisis and the 2008 financial sector meltdown: “We can live underwater / It ain’t hard when you’ve never been a part / Of the country on dry land.” Prince put new lyrics to 1000 Light Years as an upbeat coda to the even more pointed Black Muse — a song about slavery, injustice and America’s debt to Black culture — on the last album he released during his lifetime, HitnRun Phase Two.

Prince pauses the sociopolitical commentary for 'Check the Record,' a rock-funk stomp about infidelity, and for “When She Comes,” a sensual falsetto ballad marvelling in a woman’s ecstasy. (Prince also reworked When She Comes for HitnRun Phase Two, emphasising male technique instead.)

As the album ends, Prince calls for positive thinking. “Yes” reaches back to the supercharged gospel-rock of Sly and the Family Stone. After that tambourine-shaking peak, One Day We Will All B Free eases into reassuring, midtempo soul. But the “Yes” that Prince calls for is an affirmation that “We can turn the page / As long as they ain’t movin’ us to a bigger cage,” and One Day We Will All B Free is also a warning about unquestioning belief in what churches and schools teach. Prince saw a long struggle ahead.

Jon Pareles c.2021 The New York Times Company

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Tokyo Olympics 2020: ‘Straight out of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not,' Novak Djokovic loses bronze match to Pablo Carreno Busta

Novak Djokovic hurled his racquet into the empty stands and smashed another on a net post as he lost his cool on his way to defeat against Pablo Carreno Busta in the Olympics bronze medal match on Saturday.

The 20-time major champion lost 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 after Spain's Carreno Busta won on his sixth match point.

It is the first time top seed Djokovic has lost two straight singles matches since defeats by Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer at the 2019 ATP Tour Finals.

The match was a gripping encounter played over two hours and 47 minutes in the suffocating Tokyo heat, with both men desperate to secure a medal.

Djokovic, who will bid to win the final leg of the calendar Grand Slam at the US Open, which starts next month, saved a match point in the second set tie-break to force a decider and then four more late in the third set.

But Spaniard Carreno Busta, who also knocked out second seed Daniil Medvedev earlier in the tournament, struck 32 winners in an excellent performance, with Djokovic managing just 18.

The 30-year-old finally wrapped up victory in a lengthy final game when his illustrious opponent put a forehand into the net.

Djokovic brought back memories of his infamous default against Carreno Busta last year at the US Open, when he inadvertently struck a ball at a line judge.

He thew his racquet high into the empty stands as he saw a break point come and go in the opening game of the third set and continued to cut an angry figure, destroying another racquet after a miss at the net.

Djokovic will have a second chance to add to his 2008 Olympic singles bronze later on Saturday, when he and Nina Stojanovic take on Australians Ashleigh Barty and John Peers in the mixed doubles third-place play-off.

Meanwhile, Twitter was buzzing with reactions in response to Djokovic's third defeat in two days. Here are a few reactions on the micro-blogging site:

Shocker!

#NovakDjokovic fails to win bronze medal too! Considering the form he had been in this year, straight out of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) July 31, 2021

The reaction says it all!

'@pablocarreno91 DID IT! #TokyoOlympics It's Bronze for the Spaniard. pic.twitter.com/FzuTtFTxFg — #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 31, 2021

All smiles!

PABLO WINS BRONZE

@pablocarreno91 beats Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 to make the podium at #Tokyo2020 #Olympics #Tennis pic.twitter.com/fCi2k5rax4

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 31, 2021

Not all is lost

Novak Djokovic misses out on the bronze with a rage & tantrum filled 4-6, 7-6, 3-6 loss to Pablo Carreno Busta. Very unexpected end to his singles campaign given the way it started. He still has a chance to win bronze in mixed doubles though, so all is not lost.#Tokyo2020 — Musab (@Musab_Abid) July 31, 2021

A special win for Pablo!

An emotional Pablo Carreno Busta on the Olympic Channel: "I didn't win the title but it's like the best title of my career."

— Jill Martin (@ByJillMartin) July 31, 2021

The pressure of the big stage!

Olympics ain’t the same no matter what anyone says !! Everything is different about it .. proven again!! https://t.co/r4cadJnhyH — Mahesh Bhupathi (@Maheshbhupathi) July 31, 2021

Disappointing Olympic campaign for Djokovic

Novak Djokovic came in looking for Golden Slam. Goes out with two fourth place finishes while launching his racket into the stands in frustration.

— Tanuj Lakhina (@tanujlakhina) July 31, 2021

With inputs from AFP 

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Vikrant Massey, Sanya Malhotra, Bobby Deol wrap up filming Love Hostel, share news on Instagram

Actors Vikrant Massey and Bobby Deol on Saturday said they have finished the filming for their upcoming movie Love Hostel.

The two actors, who star alongside Sanya Malhotra in the crime thriller, shared the news on their respective social media accounts.

Sharing a photo with Deol, Malhotra and director Shanker Raman, Massey wrote on Instagram, "What a beautiful journey it has been so far, can't wait to unfold what lies ahead. It's a wrap! #LoveHostel"

Check out the post

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vikrant Massey (@vikrantmassey)

Deol shared the same photo and said the film is a "gift" to the audience.

Love Hostel is produced by Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma of Red Chillies Entertainment along with Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films.

Raman, best known for making Pankaj Tripathi-starrer Gurgaon, has written and directed the movie.

It is set against the backdrop of rustic North India and traces the volatile journey of a young couple being hunted by a ruthless mercenary.

"The star-crossed lovers take on the entire world and then some more in search of their fairytale ending. This is a survival tale in the game of power, money and principles with mayhem and bloodshed," the film's synopsis reads.

Love Hostel marks the second collaboration between Red Chillies Entertainment and Drishyam films, after their critically-acclaimed 2020 film Kaamyaab.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)

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Kartik Aaryan to lead Ekta Kapoor-produced Freddy; Shashanka Ghosh nabbed as director

Actor Kartik Aaryan has been tapped to play the lead role in director Shashanka Ghosh's romantic thriller movie Freddy.

The film will be produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms and Jay Shewakramani's banner Northern Lights Films.

Aaryan, 30, said as an artiste he aims to explore different genres and Freddy provided him that opportunity.

Check out the post here

KARTIK AARYAN IN EKTA KAPOOR FILM... #KartikAaryan to star in romantic-thriller #Freddy... Shashanka Ghosh - who directed #VeereDiWedding - will direct... Produced by #EktaKapoor and Jay Shewakramani... Starts 1 Aug 2021 in #Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/Ldbo1yVw4t

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) July 31, 2021

I'm venturing into an uncharted territory that is both exciting and intriguing in equal measures. I look forward to dwell in the world of Freddy and bring alive this dark romantic thriller, the actor said in a statement.

Freddy marks the Luka Chuppi actor's first collaboration with Kapoor, Shewakramani and Ghosh.

Kapoor said she is excited to start the work on the film, which goes on floors here on Sunday.

I'm thrilled to have Kartik on board. His choices of subject have always been unique and this one is no different. Collaborating with Jay makes it even more special."

Ghosh, who has previously worked with Kapoor on Veere Di Wedding, said the team wants to give the audience a "thrilling" cinematic experience with Freddy.

As a filmmaker, there is a lot to play with the genre, like a thriller. I am sure that the film is going to be one of the best thrilling cinematic experiences for the audience across the nation, he said.

Shewakramani said he is happy to have joined hands with Kapoor and Aaryan.

Besides Freddy, Aaryan is also working in Ram Madhvani-directed action-thriller Dhamaka, Anees Bazmee's horror-comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and action-drama Captain India, to be helmed by Hansal Mehta.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)

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Kiara Advani cast alongside Ram Charan in Shankar, Dil Raju's upcoming pan-Indian movie

Actor Kiara Advani has been roped in to feature opposite South star Ram Charan in acclaimed director Shankar's pan-India film, the makers announced on Saturday.

The project will mark the second collaboration between Advani and Charan after their 2019 Telugu action movie Vinaya Vidheya Rama.

Producer Sri Venkateswara Creations announced Advani's casting on the occasion of her 29th birthday.

Check out the announcement here

KIARA ADVANI OPP RAM CHARAN IN SHANKAR FILM... #KiaraAdvani to star opposite #RamCharan in #Shankar's next directorial [#RC15]... The PAN-#India film is produced by #DilRaju. #SVC50 pic.twitter.com/30NKS0ElEY

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) July 31, 2021

The actor, whose next release is the biographical drama Shershaah, said she is both excited and nervous to work with the experienced artists from the Indian film industry.

"I am excited as well as nervous to work with renowned and experienced names of our film fraternity. I am eagerly waiting to begin the shoot and hoping that this incredible opportunity is translated wonderfully on-screen," Advani said in a statement.

The film will release in three languages – Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi.

It is jointly produced by Dil Raju and Shirish Garu under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations.

Besides this film, Advani also has Karan Johar-produced film Jug Jugg Jeeyo and Anees Bazmee-directed comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2.

Charan will next be seen in S S Rajamouli's period action drama RRR and in the Telugu film Acharya alongside his father Chiranjeevi.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)

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City of Dreams season 2 review: Director Nagesh Kukunoor amps up the drama, politicking, corruption in new instalment

If the battle lines were drawn in the first season of City of Dreams (Disney+ Hotstar, 2019), in the second season, the political drama within and around the Gaekwad family expands from being just a battle of the sexes to a battle of the exes as well.

After eliminating her brother from her path and her father recovering from an assassination attempt, Poornima Gaekwad (Priya Bapat) is now the interim Chief Minister of Maharashtra. She’s troubled by visions of her murdered brother Ashish and occupied the chair for three months. With elections imminent, it’s time for her father Ameya Rao Gaekwad (Atul Kulkarni) to pull out every dirty trick he has up his sleeve. This includes releasing ghosts of Poornima’s past romantic affairs.

Another power broker, the ‘ruthless' Ramnik bhai (Shishir Sharma) is ready to use Poornima’s bisexuality to land the lucrative Mumbai Metro railway contract. Some of the old players return – such as the loyal accountant Purushottam (Sandeep Kulkarni), the honeytrap Asha (Flora Saini), the brutalising Karnataka based don Jagan (Sushant Singh) and of course erstwhile chief minister Jagdish Gurav (Sachin Pilgaonkar) and policeman turned politician Wasim Khan (Eijaz Khan) who have joined forces with Poornima to form their own formidable troika.

Among the new characters are an idealist youth leader turned aspiring politician Mahesh (Adinath Kothare), Arvind (Ankur Rathee), the arrogant heir to a construction company and his fiancée Tanya (Shriyam Bhagnani), who proves the old adage that you should never judge a book by its cover.

Director Nagesh Kukunoor and co-writer Rohit Banawlikar amp up the drama, politicking and corruption, overloading the season with sub-plots and a detailed contest between the wounded former party chief now baying for payback, and a comeback, his upright but inexperienced cub whose guile and smarts cannot always smooth over the cracks in her armour. The chess metaphor is used literally – there are pawns, a king, queen, knights and rooks. Some are dispensable, while others will be victims.

The scaled-up second season continues to be set mainly in boardrooms, warehouses and living rooms. The locations might be intimate but the story falls prey to excess as it consciously strides towards 10 episodes of 40 minutes each. The writers lob in crisis after scandal after trouble which the actors have a good whack at with fine performances that evoke compassion. Leading from the front are Priya Bapat and Atul Kulkarni, followed by Sandeep Kulkarni’s Purushottam, Bhagnani’s Tanya, Kothare’s Mahesh, Khan’s Wasim and Pilgaonkar’s Gurav – each one caught in the high stakes game of power between a warring man and his daughter who will always be second best in her father’s eyes.

City of Dreams season 2 streams on Disney+ Hotstar.

Rating: **1/2

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Schitt’s Creek, the town “where everyone fits in” and LGBT-phobia does not

Movies and shows, old and new, have helped us to live vicariously through them. They have allowed us to travel far and wide at a time borders are shut and people are restricted to homes. In our new column What's In A Setting, we explore the inseparable association of a story with its setting, how the location complements the narrative, and how these cultural windows to the world have helped broaden our imagination.

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On the face of it, Schitt’s Creek – the fictional North American small town created for the Canadian TV series of the same name – is as bland as it gets. It is not noticeably pretty. It is not swathed in a blanket of gloom, intrigue and tragedy that has come to mark the suburban locations of many criminal investigations on US TV programmes such as the recent Kate Winslet-starrer Mare of Easttown. No one here comes across as adventurous. No resident of Schitt’s Creek seems to have done anything dramatic with their lives. In short, the place is little, non-descript and dull.

So dull that Connor, a character from Season 1 of Schitt’s Creek, tells one of the protagonists, David Rose: “I’m a 16-year-old gay kid living in a town that makes me wanna throw up. The issue isn’t me not fitting in, it’s me not wanting to fit in.” In these words dissing the area though, lies a clue to why the show’s creators pointedly chose to invent a location that is this ordinary to all appearances: Connor is gay and his teacher is worried that he is struggling to click with his peers, which is why she asks David – who too belongs to the LGBT-plus community – to meet and counsel her student but, as the young man points out, he has no problem fitting in at all. 

You see, Schitt’s Creek gives the impression of being inert and unremarkable, but it is actually remarkably evolved though the narrative takes its time to let us know that. 

I binge-watched this series in the past year somewhere between the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, months after the finale had been aired in India and internationally, and had been dissected, bisected, analysed and scrutinised by the media and public worldwide. In keeping with my standard practice, I had avoided reading about the show before I saw it, so only as Season 1 drew to a close did it strike me that Schitt’s Creek truly is – to quote and add to the signboard at the town entrance – a place “where everyone fits in” and LGBT-phobia does not. 

When Firstpost asked if I would like to contribute to a series on the theme “What’s In A Setting” revolving around film and TV entertainment, Schitt’s Creek came to mind immediately. Location and setting are, after all, not just geographical, they are the sum total of the physical and socio-cultural topography of a locale in which a story is situated. In the case of Schitt’s Creek, the sociology of the town is the essence of the show and its defining characteristic. 

***

Schitt’s Creek was co-created by actor Daniel/Dan Levy and his iconic actor father, Eugene Levy. Dan plays the script’s David Rose while Eugene stars as David’s father, the millionaire businessperson Johnny Rose. In the role of Johnny’s wife Moira Rose who is a TV actor cum socialite, is the Canadian superstar Catherine O’Hara. The couple’s other child, daughter Alexis Rose, is played by Annie Murphy. 

When the Rose family’s belongings are confiscated by the government as a penalty for tax fraud, they are left with just one asset: an obscure town called Schitt’s Creek that Johnny had once jokingly bought as a birthday gift for David. Left without even a house, the Roses reluctantly shift to Schitt’s Creek, and are compelled to take up residence at a crummy local motel. 

Every spot in this town is designed to contrast sharply with the Roses’ earlier extravagant lifestyle – the unhygienic motel with its frayed carpets and leaking roof, the mess in Bob’s Garage, the undistinctive Tropical Café with its amusingly oversized menu cards, the boring facades of buildings. The exterior shoots were largely, though not entirely, done in the village of Goodwood in Ontario, Canada. Photos of Goodwood on the Net indicate that it is a sleepy rural centre surrounded by picturesque countryside. Dan Levy has told the media that he and his colleagues considerably pared down Goodwood for their make-believe setting. The plainness achieved by the production team and the consequently inevitable sub-conscious lowering of viewer expectations from the inhabitants of such a place are why I was startled when the realisation crept up on me that Schitt’s Creek’s population is open-minded in a way that LGBT-plus persons in most societies can only dream of in reality.  

In the initial years, the Levys did not reveal whether their story is based in the US or their homeland Canada. Eugene went so far as to tell the media that it did not belong to any country. Going by the multiple references to various cities by the characters, I had presumed they were in the US and I still stubbornly stand by my vote despite now knowing what Dan said in 2018 when he finally addressed the question that had been bothering fans since the premiere. 

“For us, it was always important to create a sense of isolation, and pinning the location down wasn’t ever part of the narrative of the show,” he told BuzzFeed News that year. “So it does exist in this sort of isolated bubble.” 

But – yes, there’s a “but” in there that warmed the hearts of Canadian viewers – “we are a Canadian show, so inherently it is a Canadian town,” he added. “We’ve never spoken about it, so I don’t like to necessarily pinpoint it anywhere. But for the sake of the hard copy, I guess it’s set in Canada.” The earlier ambiguity was no doubt intriguing, but this answer made not an inch of a difference to the plot or to the fact that this imaginary town would have been an oasis in a land filled with chauvinism whether it was in the US or Canada since neither country is free of LGBT-phobia. 

Dan, who, incidentally, publicly identifies as gay, was clear from the start that there would be no prejudice against LGBT-plus persons in this town. He is quoted on vulture.com explaining this decision at a 2018 event called the Vulture Festival in Los Angeles. “I have no patience for homophobia,” the actor said. “As a result, it’s been amazing to take that into the show. We show love and tolerance. If you put something like that out of the equation, you’re saying that doesn’t exist and shouldn’t exist.”  

Obviously this aspect of Schitt’s Creek makes it, in a sense, a fantasy since injustice against LGBT-plus persons is present across continents, which might explain why a town had to be imagined from scratch by Dan. (Spoiler ahead in this sentence) In the world we live in, it would be natural to expect that David Rose, a pansexual character, would face at least some bias from narrow-minded townsfolk and that this bias would be an overriding factor in his life since his financial compulsion to be there precludes the possibility of him moving to a populous big city where an individual might have the liberty to filter homophobes out of his life. (Spoiler alert ends) By excluding LGBT-phobia entirely from their storyline, however, the Levys presented viewers with a peek into a paradisiacal realm of what-might-be. 

David’s romance with a character called Patrick Brewer, who is introduced in a later season, can be enjoyed to the fullest extent because the two are surrounded by all-round acceptance from the Schitt’s Creek community in precisely the casual way they accept cis-gendered heterosexual men and women in love as a matter of routine. The absence of anti-gay bias in the town of Schitt’s Creek allows a viewer to see the potential beauty of a society where all love is nurtured and every sort of couple embraced. 

As a result, after Season 1, I found myself no longer caring that Schitt’s Creek has hardly any attractive nooks and crannies in sight. Certainly I enjoyed the occasional, very occasional, respite provided by a little-known picturesque site in the vicinity – such as the waterway where Moira and Johnny decide to go skinny-dipping one day, or the scenic corner where Patrick takes David hiking at a crucial turning point in their relationship – but the minimal spectacle on the show became irrelevant to me as a viewer in the face of the groundbreaking conceptualisation of a town in which LGBT-phobia just does not exist. 

***

I grew up in an India where the LGBT-plus community was by and large invisible in the public discourse. The first memory I have of a high-profile discussion on sexual orientation was when Deepa Mehta’s Fire came under fire from fundamentalists in the late 1990s. The first time I ever personally met an individual who was openly gay and came out to me in a one-on-one interaction, I was in my 20s and a working journalist. Something about the meeting with that gentleman changed me. My limited awareness about the community caused me to re-examine my fledgling youthful definition of feminism and expand it to engage with all marginalised groups, including those I was ignorant about. I had to work hard to educate myself back then, because conversations about the community were not easy to find in the mainstream. I gradually became aware that although most of contemporary India was unwilling to acknowledge the very existence of LGBT-plus persons, there was a thriving underground movement of support groups, helplines, websites and networking opportunities across the country, operating away from prying, prejudiced eyes. I wrote about this in India Today magazine in an article headlined “Action Stations” published in April 2000. 

In subsequent years, that underground movement exploded overground. Today, pride marches are routine in India, homosexuality is no longer criminalised in the country as it was then, and though LGBT-phobia and oppression are still very much around, the virtual public invisibility has ended.  

So why am I giving you a precis of my journey as a journalist, a feminist and a human being in an article about Schitt’s Creek? Because this series and the otherwise unexciting town from which it takes its title, shook my proud conviction that I am a confirmed LGBT-plus ally. (*insert emoji with mortified smile here*)

(Spoiler alert for this paragraph) In Episode 9 of Schitt’s Creek Season 1, David sleeps with a woman. I was taken aback because until that moment I had assumed he is gay. Ummm, yes, me, the flag-waving LGBT-rights campaigner within my circle of friends and relatives, who has for two decades demanded to know what anyone means when they derisively say “so and so looks so gay!” Pause. No, I thought to myself, I could not have arrived at such a conclusion without concrete information thrown my way as a viewer. Pause. I remember turning to the friend with whom I was watching Episode 9 and saying, “But didn’t he earlier talk about having… boyfriends?” 

(Spoiler alert for this paragraph) Having rewatched the first eight episodes of Schitt’s Creek, I can now vouch for the fact that David had not mentioned a sexual preference for men until then. It was all in my mind, I suspect because of his body language. In Episode 10, I realised I was not alone: till that point, most of the real-world audience and the fictional woman with whom David had sex were also labouring under the notion that he is gay. Her dialogue with him after their sexual encounter must rank as one of the best pieces of writing in global television history. 

(Repeat: Spoiler alert, although I am not naming the woman for the benefit of those who have not yet watched Schitt’s Creek)

X: So, just to be clear… Uh, I’m a red wine drinker.

David: That’s fine.

X: Okay, cool. But, uh, I only drink red wine.

David: Okay.

X: And up until last night, I was under the impression that you too only drank red wine. But I guess I was wrong?

David: I see where you’re going with this. Ummm, I do drink red wine. But I also drink white wine. 

X: Oh.

David: And I’ve been known to sample the occasional rosé. And a couple of summers back I tried a Merlot that used to be a Chardonnay… 

X: Oh.

David: …which got a bit complicated.

X: Okay, yeah, so you’re just really open to all wines.

David: I like the wine and not the label. Does that make sense?

There can be no better way than this to explain pansexuality to the uninitiated. 

(Spoiler alert ends)

Since Dan Levy intentionally over-emphasised David’s body language and eccentric wardrobe with the specific intention of getting the audience to later question themselves, and since David himself did not judge X, my friend A who is a huge Schitt’s Creek fan in addition to being an out and proud gay man has told me to let myself off the hook and not be embarrassed that I fell for the show’s ploy. 

Maybe I will take A’s advice, maybe I can continue to consider myself an LGBT-plus ally, but the amazing thing about Schitt’s Creek is how it reminds us gently and kindly that our education, introspection and self-sensitisation are never complete. And one of the important devices it employs to do this is its location in a small town filled with people whose collective liberalism puts snooty urbanites in the shade.

***

This brings me to an aspect of Schitt’s Creek that takes me back to something my late mother often told us when we were little. Mum disliked the expression “small-town mentality” and explained that regressive thinking is not a factor of the place you are born in but your innate attitudes and exposure. A person in a big city who has never mingled with those beyond their immediate circle and who has never been exposed to those outside that city, is no less likely to be conservative, she said, than someone who is deemed to be conservative simply because they were born and brought up in a small town, never left there and never met anyone from elsewhere. 

I did not need to look far for proof. Mum spent her early years in the villages of Puthencavu and Edanadu in Alappuzha district and in Kozhikode city. She left Kerala for the first time in her late teens. She was one of the most progressive human beings I have ever met. She was married to a man who spent his entire childhood in a tiny hamlet called Paippad in Kottayam district, and I can tell you that he – my Dad – was her closest feminist ally. I have always, therefore, been averse to the phrase “small-town mentality” bred from the superiority complex rampant in urban areas including Delhi where I was born and raised.

The town of Schitt’s Creek, which refuses to live down to pre-conceived notions of snobbish city-dwellers, harks back to Mum’s life-long stand against pre-judging any individual’s worldview. It also compelled me and millions of viewers across the globe (as evidenced by social media debates) to confront our continuing social conditioning with regard to traditional notions of the masculine, the feminine and effeminacy, even as we constantly fight this conditioning. 

(Alert: Please skip to the end of this section) 

The unselfconscious liberalism of this seemingly lacklustre town is exemplified by an exchange between Johnny Rose and the unsophisticated, weird, eccentric mayor, Roland Schitt (played by Chris Elliott), over a meal of pork at a Hawaiian-themed party in the same episode that deploys the “red wine / white wine” metaphor. 

Johnny: My son is pansexual.

Roland, while devouring the meat on his plate: Uh huh. I’ve heard of that. I know what that is. That’s, uh, that cookware fetish.

Johnny: No.

Roland: Mm hmmm.

Johnny: No, no. 

Roland: No, I read about that. 

Johnny: No, he loves everyone. Men, women, women who become men, men who become women. I’m his father and I always wanted his life to be easy. But, you know, just… pick one gender and maybe everything would have been less… confusing?

Roland: Well, you know, Johnny, when it comes to matters of the heart, we can’t tell our kids who to love.

(Spoiler alert ends)

It’s as simple as that. 

“Who said that?” Roland asks, the second after he utters this sentence that causes Johnny’s eyes to widen in surprise. Roland is high, so his confusion is believable, but the line also serves to emphasise Johnny’s disbelief – mirroring viewer disbelief – that this crude fellow who possesses questionable social skills and has been written in a certain way to play into the urban viewers’ confirmation bias against ‘country bumpkins’ is the one who just made that incredibly broad-minded statement. 

Open minds, large hearts and small towns are not mutually exclusive. Over and above everything else that this fantastic series does, it echoes this lesson I learnt as a child from my mother. 

(Schitt’s Creek is available in India on Netflix)

Read more from the What's in a Setting series here.

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