I’ve been so hooked onto Over The Top (OTT) platforms that I needed to top up my internet subscription plan to cater to my every day growing entertainment needs. Yes, I’m one of the 432 million video viewers in India that have turned to good old entertainment to navigate through the tough waters of the COVID19 lockdown.


Yesterday while flipping through the platforms on Alexa, I chanced upon the trailer of the to be launched short film, Chintu Ka Birthday on ZEE5. The film stars Vedant Raj Chibber as Chintu Tiwary, Vinay Pathak as Chintu's father - Madan Tiwary, Tillotama Shome as Chintu's Mother - Sudha Tiwary, Bisha Chaturvedi as Chintu's Sister - Laxmi Tiwary, and Seema Pahwa as Chintu's grandmother.

My very first reaction to the start of the trailer was, which child wouldn’t love an amazing birthday party until when the trailer progressed to an unexpected disruption by two American soldiers at the onset of Chintu’s birthday party. And that wouldn’t be a surprise as the film is set inside a war-torn Iraq, where during the US invasion of Iraq some illegal migrants are awaiting help to return home to India. In such a scenario, one family, the Tiwarys, are preparing to celebrate the birthday of their younger child Chintu.

The two and a half minute film trailer shows how a normal family goes from managing the everyday mundane to preparing for a birthday celebration to finally being locked down for being insurgents. The trailer of the film, ‘Chintu ka Birthday’ comes alive in every little scene, and creates parts of this 80-minute film in the viewers mind. The narrative is a simple depiction of a generous and life-affirming tale of an ordinary family in an extraordinary situation.


Three things that stood out for me after watching the trailer are:

The Plot
Chintu ka Birthday is based on the plight of Indian migrants during the US invasion of Iraq. Though there are a few films on this particular topic, the plot based on how a regular family struggles to do simple things during a direct conflict isn’t. And this is what makes me curious about the film.

The Performances
Chintu Ka Birthday stars Vinay Pathak and Tillotama Shome, do I need to say more? However, the kid Vedant Chibber looks promising.

The Direction
Chintu Ka Birthday has been directed by writer-director duo Devanshu Kumar and Satyanshu Singh. The duo has focused on the story and hence the narrative will be seamless. And as they rightly said in a statement, “Although the film is set in Iraq in 2004, the present situation, where we are locked down in our houses with our families is no different. We have to live in the moment, love each other and keep faith that this too shall pass."

I don’t need another reason to tune in to watch Chintu Ka Birthday that is going to be exclusively streamed on ZEE5 from June 5, 2020, but if you need another reason, the film is a winner of the Viewer’s Choice Award at the recently concluded Jagran Film Festival.

Go watch!

Until next time,
~ Heena

Over the last 2-to-3 years, entertainment in Indian has shifted from viewing to streaming, and viewers have been spoilt for choice. Today there are over 432 million Over The Top (OTT) video viewers in India; and is growing at an alarming rate of 4-8% always looking for content that resonates with them and their lifestyles. Even though there is plenty of content out there, it is ZEE5’s where entertainment comes alive.


I subscribe to ZEE5, the largest multi-lingual online video streaming OTT platform, especially for its Originals. As a viewer who is interested in thrillers, ZEE5 Movies offers amazing fact-paced and action thrillers both fictional and non-fictional; many inspired by true events. Recently when I watched the trailer of Operation Parindey, I was truly hooked onto my couch by #The24HourChase, a ZEE5 Original film.

Sanjay Gadhvi of the Dhoom movies franchise, is making his digital directorial debut with ZEE5's short film based on one of the most controversial true-life jailbreaks in Indian history - Operation Parindey. The thriller stars an impressive cast comprising of Amit Sadh, Rahul Dev, Ameet Gaurr, Kunal Kumar, Aakash Dhaiya and Rucha Inamkar.



The film makes it to my watch list, for many reasons, trust me no spoilers here.... but three of which are: 

The Plot
Operation Parindey is based on a Jailbreak, a concept rarely touched in Hindi cinema. Of course many films and series have a sequence or two of jailbreaks but rarely is an entire film or series based on this narrative. As rightly said, ‘Where there are jails, there will be jailbreaks and when the prison is tougher, the prison break is more exciting’. This is exactly what makes Operation Parindey a novelty, the plotting, the actual break and finally, the chase makes it exciting and warrants a start to finish watch.

The Performances
Operation Parindey stands tall on the shoulders of Amit Sadh and Rahul Dev, who play the Special Task Force officer Abhinav Mathur and Sardar Monty Singh the mastermind behind the jailbreak respectively. Rahul Dev is an absolute delight to watch, he gives goosebumps in the manner he preaches his religious indoctrination to everyone within an earshot. This character takes him from good to exceptionally effortless. Amit Sadh has justified his space in the film with a convincing performance… as playing a cop is no easy task. He makes his character look conventional and realistic, shows a sense of urgency that is needed to the criminals.

The Direction
Operation Parindey has been directed by Sanjay Gadhvi, who knows how to keep a viewer glued to the small screen. The pace of the film that is maintained keeps it alive and kicking, with spectacular visuals, amazing background score and of course the performances. Being a pro at thrillers, Sanjay Gadhvi has infused the film with all his experience making it a bumpy rollercoaster ride of the highest highs and lowest lows of what it takes to plot, plan and action an actual jailbreak. 

So, make the most of your time during social distancing, and catch some of the best shows and films on ZEE5. The OTT subscription packages start at as low as INR 99 for a month up to INR 999 for a year, so go subscribe now and binge-watch!

Until next time,
~ Heena

Every movie buff across generations will definitely remember the iconic film, Sholay. Ramesh Sippy’s 1975 Bollywood classic is what memorable films are made of — a stellar storyline, well thought out characters, meaningful dialogues, and above all powerhouse performers. Each actor left a mark on the audience in their own way...  Every one envied the Jai-Veeru friendship while feeling compassionate towards the young widow Radha, some even expressed the desire to avenge for the shawl clad Thakur and punish the devil incarnate Gabbar.



However, the one character that caught everyone by surprise was Basanti, the love interest of Veeru... a feisty village belle who rode a horse cart for a living and talked a mile a minute. The film showed multiple facets of Basanti from irritating to silly, from coy to shrewd, from illogical to ferocious — keeping a viewer pegged to her character. However, the most arresting aspect of Basanti was the dare-devil stunts that were performed by the character during crucial points in the film.  At one such point,  Basanti narrowly escapes the villain's goons in a thrilling horse cart chase, the sequence sent shivers down every girl's spine; except for one - Reshma Pathan, the female stunt double who actually filmed the scene for the film. Seriously injured during the chase scene, she bounced back into work within a few days. 

Sholay wasn't the first film Reshma did as a stunt artist but Sholay made her known name in the industry, something which eluded many stunt women during the time in the film industry. The story of most such artists largely remained behind the scenes and would remain anonymous even today if not for director Aditya Sarpotdar’s The Sholay Girl, a biopic on Reshma Pathan. Released on Women’s Day this year, here’s why you should watch The Sholay Girl online which is currently streaming on ZEE5. 

The Sholay Girl is one such film that plots the life of a young girl who began working as a stunt double from the age of 14 years and charted her journey through numerous trials and struggles to reach a milestone in a career that was restricted to men. Check the trailer of the film here. 

The two main characters of The Sholay Girl, Reshma Pathan is played by Bidita Bag of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz fame and Stunt Director Asim is played by Chandan Roy Sanyal. Bidita Bag nails her character to the T and delivers an honest compelling performance that instantly transports viewers to the 70s era. She has so beautifully lived the character throughout the film that it leaves a distinct mark in viewers minds for a long time. Chandan Roy Sanyal delivers a performance that only a few can replicate, and does so effortlessly. The powerhouse duo brings to life every scene they are in, giving a visual representation to bravery, strength and indomitable resilience.

The film is the one with a truly happy ending that celebrates the work of an invisible hero Reshma Pathan, her daring personality and her never-give-up attitude. So, watch ZEE5 original The Sholay Girl online for a truly uplifting, realistic, no-frills biopic that will add a ‘can-do’ spirit to your thoughts. Click here to get more insights on The Sholay Girl.