PremiumElections 2024 buzz - Shows and movies on SonyLIV with political undertones to watch | From Bose Dead/Alive to Shanghai
The political film genre is populated with options that are wild. Here are three intriguing titles on SonyLIV that should be on your watch list.
Last Updated: 07.01 PM, May 17, 2024
While we continue to consume content on the big screen and streaming platforms, we have to agree that attention at this point is divided between movies and the real-world drama that has unfolded with the 2024 elections. As we speak, the drama of the elections, with all the possible parties vying for the highest votes, has taken over our news channels, Instagram handles, and possibly all visual mediums. Even theatres have promotional ads now. So there is no escaping it, even if you do not care. The state of politics has forever seeped into our movies and shows seamlessly without looking alien. Many have tried their hands at a genre that is both meaty and supremely dramatic. So there is no way we are not watching anything that was released under that.
Over many years, ace filmmakers, budding ones, and those who are not entirely equipped have tried their luck with political movies. With time, the genre has branched out in many directions. Biopics, agenda-driven movies, propaganda sold through them, fictional tales that talk about real problems, movies inspired by real-life people but very much fictional. There is an abundance of content on the internet in this genre and there is no way we are running out of it. But how much of it is worth investing time in, without the fear of it being another whitewashing vehicle? Well, we are here to take that stress away.
Today we explore the SonyLIV library and bring to you some shows and movies from there that have politics as the central theme. One is based on a real-life figure, the other is about a real issue set in a fictional town, and one that is completely fictional. Watch these three if you haven't as we will bring more for you soon.
Political Shows On SonyLIV
Bose: Dead/Alive Season 1 (2017)
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Naveen Kasturia, and Alexx O’Nell.
Director: Eklavya Bhattacharya.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s death is one of the biggest mysteries that has remained unsolved for years now. No one knows what exactly happened and there are hundreds of theories about what might have happened. So when Rajkummar Rao and an A team decided to bring to life the story and an angle to the mystery around his death, it made for a very interesting watch. What was even more fascinating was how the politics of the time were dealt with.
Shanghai (2012)
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Kalki Koechlin, and Abhay Deol.
Director: Dibakar Banerjee.
Trust Dibakar Banerjee to make the most accurate satires of our time and the way he looks at the situation of the country with regards to the rich getting richer while eating off the poor is immaculate. Banerjee is fearless and his content was once even more bold than it is today. In 2012, he made a movie around a fictional city called Bharat Nagar, which has a massive infrastructure plan backed by the ruling party. It claims to turn the city into Shanghai. But what happens when the man who is against the plan is dead/murdered? Shanghai is too fearless for the faint-hearted and this is the dark side of rebellion.
Garmi Season 1 (2023)
Cast: Vyom Yadav, Anushka Kaushik, and Jatin Goswami.
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia.
Arvind Shukla, a young man, has dreams and aspirations as he gets into college. However, little does he know that destiny has a different plan for him as he gets pushed into the circus of politics, crime, and bad people. The show is a reminder of the dark underbelly of college politics, where students are no longer cordial but evil. The show is indeed very alarming. Though it has flaws, the product is not bad at all.
Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else in the world of streaming and films.