Upload
Creator : Greg Daniels
Directed by : 
Kacie Anning/Greg Daniels/Daina Reid/Jonathan van Tulleken (2 episodes each, 2020)
Jeffrey Blitz/David Rogers (1 episode each, 2020)

Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7826376/

The best days of your life could be after its over..


Spoilers ahead.. 

What if you could choose your afterlife, like options of traditional normal death or get upload where you enjoy a afterlife with all your past memories, same personality, interact with other uploaded people or even spend time with alive real people through VR technology, and can have sex through special suits, basically enjoy a whole new version of life with not much of responsibilities. Upload Season1 goes through all of that, its not really a complete adventurous or laugh ride, but quite emotional at times. Nathan (Robbie Amell) who has just died and joined the 'Lakehouse Horizon', his chosen Upload begins to explore the place and is helped by his Angel, Nora (Andy Allo) who is a supportive alive girl working as a customer helper and always shows up when someone says the word 'Angel', very much like Genie of Aladdin. The intial episodes are fun to watch as we see some wierd rules, breakfast vanishes from tables if you come late after 10am, you could change weather outside through a switch button, painting done with direct drag and drop, a dog used to intereact as therapist and a waiter having many selfversions to do various other jobs at same time. But Upload uses all this more like small breakups, main focus is mostly on the death mystery of Nathan, if it was plotted? And Nathan's equation with his girlfriend Ingrid (Allegra Edwards), who you can call is very much on path of Rosamund Pike from 'Gone Girl' watching the way she is desperate for Nathan even when he wants to break-up. My favourite part of Upload is the chemistry between Nathan and Nora, that eventually leads to lot more. But in the end, I didn't get why would Nora not know that Nathan didn't cut her off but it was his data that ended, shouldn't she be having that knowledge? Loved the cool fun sequences between Luke (Kevin Bigley) and his Angel, Aleesha (Zainab Johnson). Dylan (Rhys Slack) also provides some hilarious moments like the one where he goes to the steal market with Nathan and Luke, trying to get a hack to grow up by some years and become manly, since you never age up at Upload place. Its by no means a 'wow' kind series, but if you are looking for a quick short series that is light-hearted with some mystery and don't mind bit of Sci-fi then Upload is for you.. with the episodes mostly in range of early 30ish mins, its a easy binge and chances are you would like me stay interested to give 2nd season a go too when it arrives.

My Rating : 6.5/10



Shikara
Directed by : Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Imdb link -> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10930586/

Har pal teri yaad sataati rehti hai, aati jaati har ek saans yeh kehti hai.. ek din tumse milne wapis aayunga, kya hai dil mein sab kuch tumhe batayunga.. 



Told through a span of 30 years, its about a couple, Shiv Kumar Dhar (Aadil Khan) and Shanti Dhar (Sadia Khateeb), two kashmiri pandits who have survived after been told to leave their home in 1990 along with lakhs of other kashmiri pandits. There's something about Kashmir, its locations and views that always draws you in, and I totally loved the wedding sequence with no shor sharaba kind shaadis we are accustomed to in North side of India especially. But the film touches a serious topic and yet the political angle is almost totally edited out, or the cross border terrorism. Just few clips of original footage doesn't seal the deal as I would had preferred to see all the details for someone who ain't aware of this side of history. And if the intention was to present a romantic movie on backdrop of Kashmiri Pandits incident, in that scenario too Shikara fails because the lead pair are very inconsistent in their performances, which never invokes any feelings in me like for instance the end scene in the boat or that key scene when Aadil is emotional and narrating a shayari with no background music while returning back to his home Kashmir after a long time. If you do enjoy their acting then the film will still work for you, doesn't for me!

My Rating : 4/10