mid-day's OTT recommendations: Five movies and shows that you can binge-watch

Its not womens day but the choices this week at least most have of them have bordered on the emotions and fears of the fairer sex Lets be real no matter how liberated and under the illusion of a free and equal society we live in the fear of being trampled upon emotionally or physically constantly looms over us Every girlwoman has experienced this at least once in their lifetime Be it a toxic relationship or the right to make choices for your own body or the right to refuse sexual advances this weeks choices cover all bases From Vidya Balans Natkhat to Jude Anthany Josephs Saras to Netflixs Feels Like Ishq every story highlights the plight of women that had been normalised middays OTT recommendations this week are a teaching moment for both men and womenSaras Amazon Prime VideoWhy cant men get pregnant Well theres an obvious scientific answer to that But if they dont have the capability to bear children should they then have the power to decide if women shouldshould not get pregnant I think not and thats exactly what Anna Ben who plays Sara Vincent in Saras tries to tell with her story Since childhood Sara has been averse to the idea of getting pregnant She dumped every boyfriend until 25 who didnt match her ideology until Jeevan Philip played by Sunny Wayne walked into her life Friendship blossomed to love and without further ado they tied the knot all the while with the assurance that like her Jeevan also didnt wish to have children But who can avoid the questioning glare of the overbearing and interfering Indian family After numerous tries Sara gets the opportunity of a lifetime to direct her own film but everything goes awry when she accidentally gets pregnant While Sara is determined to proceed as planned she is stripped of her husbands support who changes his mind The Malayalam film is a beautiful portrayal of a woman who chooses to honour her career over parenting It also subtly highlights the undertones and pressures of living in a maledominated society Without overthetop drama the outing is a delightful window into a womans psyche during an accidental pregnancyNatkhat Voot SelectFor years weve blamed women when they got molested or physically abused The narrative to educate men began much later although several sections of the society still shirk from the responsibility Vidya Balans short film that is part of Voot Selects film festival sheds light on the importance of teaching boys about gender equality Its almost normal for a young Sonu to see his grandfather father uncle and friends disrespect women A habit he soon picks up and wears with pride until he sees the effect of his misdemeanours on his beloved mother Balans character explains to Sonu the error of his ways in the guise of a bedtime story This one should ideally be a mustwatch for young kids As they say education begins at home So instead of normalising patriarchy if children are taught about gender equality we may just save a generation from this unending abyssAanum Pennum Amazon Prime VideoThis Malayalam anthology of three stories delves into the life of three women from different eras and their tryst with romantic relationships and sexual intimacy The first story set in the postBritish Rajera is about Savitri a communist comrade on the run She seeks refuge as a house help only to be leched at by the patriarch of the family She forms a romantic alliance with a man of her choice and punishes her abusive pursuer to death The second story is based on a short story by the popular writer Uroob Rachiyamma is a milkmaid who showers affection on a plantation officer while physically keeping him at bay When the romantic alliance comes to the fore she tells him about the promise to her dead mother of never crossing the line Fearing the level of commitment required he abandons her without a word only to regret it years later The third story in the collection talks about two newage lovers While Roshan Mathews character is desperate to have sex with his girlfriend she constantly ponders if their connection is purely sexual Away from the gaze of his family he secures a secluded area in the wilderness to take the relationship to the next level But little did he know that someone is always watching All three female actors Samyuktha Menon Parvathy Thiruvothu and Darshana Rajendran give a crackling performance while keeping it artful Directors Jay K Venu and Aashiq Abu capture raw emotions and showcase the stories with several undertones A slow watch but not without depth and rawnessFeels Like Ishq NetflixThis anthology of six stories explores the initial sparks between six couples that lend to a relationship Its a fresh take on romance that makes you grin wide While the first story doesnt impress the remaining five leave you hoping for more From teenage crush during quarantine to budding connection between an aimless traveller and host to the affirmation of love between a lesbian couple to a Tinder date in between a rally each short explores new dimensions insecurities and relationships With Ayushmann Khurrana crooning in Quarantine Crush to Kabir Dass song Haman hai ishq mastana in Ishq Mastana every story has something new innocent and empowering to offer So ensure to add this to your bingelistMasters of the Universe Revelation NetflixDid you go into flashback thinking of HeMan Well I certainly did Growing up watching the adventures of HeMan this fiveepisode series was nothing short of pure nostalgia Every ardent fan would resonate with my feelings here Having said that the short series which is already confirmed for another season is filled with twists and turns As expected HeMan is the main character in the show but creator Kevin Smith shifts focus on Teela How often do female characters get dominance in a superhero franchise In this case theres more than one Engaging storyline vivid characterisation fresh concept and all this while keeping the characters dipped in nostalgia Need we say more