So we all knew it was coming. It’s like a necessary evil. Yes, I am talking about the extended lock-down in India till end of April. But we can’t let our perseverance droop down as we are the “survivors”.
What do we do then? So here is the “extended” guide of what we are thinking of doing in this extended confinement period.
Can’t fly high but let the Kite fly
How many of you have access to an open roof? Yes – so why not bring down the long forgotten kite and it’s reel from that dusty corner of your house? Trust us when we say, it’s fun reliving your childhood and may be with your kiddoo too! Our Geek Honuman – Sayantan did the same with his kid and they had a fun time! See the images to believe it!
No Kite? How about Ludo or Scrabble or Monopoly?
Indoor games always had it’s own charm in our growing up years, specially if you were born before the 90s. Playing games like Ludo, Scrabble, Monopoly or Scotland Yard used to be our family time in the late evenings. Why not relive that as well? I found an almost lost “Snake-n-ladder” board along with a Junior Scrabble to be very engaging for my kid! If you don’t have the boards, some of these are available online as well. If you have been watching the Mahabharat, you might as well learn the rules of the famous pasha or chausat ka khel too! Just remember to keep your bets within limits 😉
Revisiting old “series”?
During this lock down or otherwise, we are just fascinated by “series”. A more personalized viewing now, thanks to Netflix and Amazon Prime, but eons ago, we did enjoy watching “series” together with the family. (Ok – not considering the K series trend which used to run for ages instead).
Here are some of my favorite series from yesteryear which we all can now see, thanks to Amazon Prime mainly, bringing them back as “web content”.
Yeh Jo Hain Zindagi (Amazon Prime) – A sitcom from 1984 (yes!) but hugely enjoyable even today, because of the simplistic everyday stories of a couple and their brother-in-law. The starcast was equally enviable having Satish Shah, Safi Inamdaar, Swaroop Sampat and Rakesh Bedi. In case you haven’t seen this yet, try it.
TVF Tripling (TVF app or Youtube) – Post resounding success of Panchayat on Amazon Prime, you might have heard about the creators TVF. This one though is about road trips and the sibling problems.
Mahabharata (Doordarshan) – Yes, the age old classic is back in our television screens and still watched by a large section of the society. Knowing about our own culture through tv series, might fend off detractors but I say, we see all, we learn all and then put our best logical thinking forward. Trust me you’ll see the Mahabharat with a different perspective now than when you were a kid and realise it is not just about the war and magical weapons.
Doordarshan is also airing other evergreen classics like Buniyad, Shreeman Shreemati, Byomkesh Bakshi (Rajat Kapoor starrer) and others. These are timeless in content and quality of acting. I took this opportunity to relook at Doordarshan schedules – check out DD Bharti, or the newly launched DD Retro.
Pro-tip: Why not watch few episodes of “Bharat Ek Khoj” with your kiddo?
Little Things (Youtube or Netflix) – This cute little romantic story was having it’s own following since it released in 2016. Catch the Season 1 to relive the “little things” which makes life! Season 1 was the best of the lot though.
Movies beyond states?
I have always been an avid watcher of regional South Indian movies. Not necessarily the wham-bam types but more towards intriguing story-telling. One more aspect which I look for is interesting local landscapes and nothing beats Malayalam movies in that. So here is my personal recommendation (and NO, I DON’T KNOW THE LANGUAGE 😉 , so SUBTITLE ZINDABAD! 😀 )
Bangalore Days (Hotstar) – A movie from 2014, it’s called the Dil Chahta Hai of Malayalam cinema and yes, I don’t like the Bollywoodisation of a regional effort. Watch it for freshness, hummable music and ofcourse if you are a fan of DQ and Fahad Fassil!
Kumbalangi Nights (Amazon Prime) – This was one of the best from last year and the stunning Kerala backwater visuals is hard to miss. Equally interesting background score and OST!
Super Deluxe (Netflix) – One word for this Tamil movie – Rollercoaster!
Honumans 