South Asian Streaming Guide: January 2024
As a lifelong lover of film, TV, and pop culture, I probably (definitely) consume more content than the average person. It’s also a side effect of my career (surprise: I went into entertainment). But as I’ve become more aware of the types of work I want to be creating and supporting, I’m making an effort to be more intentional with my streaming choices - less mindlessly watching Love Is Blind, more seeking out work created by and centering the South Asian community and other communities of color. As I do so, I’ll be creating monthly streaming guides for Kahani Digital to spotlight projects that are now easily accessible and deserve our attention.
For January, inspired by the start of awards season, I’m recommending two films and one TV show that have been critically acclaimed, but didn’t capture public attention quite like Barbenheimer.
I have been waiting for The Green Knight to hit streaming since I first saw it almost three years ago. Starring Dev Patel and directed by David Lowery, the film follows fledgling knight Gawain as he is forced to undertake a journey that can only end badly in the name of honor. The film is stunning to behold, and boasts an impressive supporting cast featuring Sarita Choudhury, Alicia Vikander, and Barry Keoghan. It also has an Inception-style ending that will leave you questioning what you just watched, so if you enjoy movies where half the fun is watching them again after discussing with your friends or reading explainers, The Green Knight should be at the top of your list.
A simple way to summarize Starstruck is “Broad City meets Notting Hill” - young and wayward Jessie (creator and star Rose Matafeo) sleeps with movie star Tom Kapoor (Nikesh Patel) without realizing who he is and ends up in an on-again, off-again relationship. The show could easily have become a wish fulfillment fantasy, but the characters are so sharply drawn and the chemistry between the leads so natural that it deftly avoids Prince Charming tropes in favor of a genuine and complex relationship you can’t help but root for. The show’s third and final season premiered in 2023, and with only six episodes per season, it’s the perfect binge. I found myself saying “one more episode” every time I tried to turn it off.
As a Miracle Workers fan, I was excited to see Karan Soni and Geraldine Viswanathan reunite for 7 Days, which Soni co-wrote with his real-life partner, Roshan Sethi, who also directs. The movie starts with a familiar premise about arranged marriage, but a reference to the date, March 2020, quickly lets you know where this is headed. Ravi and Rita are forced to quarantine together after an awkward first date and we watch them confront cultural and familial expectations as they unwittingly get to know each other. While the movie is ultimately meant to be a love story, what really moved me is how well it captured the isolation and fear that defined the start of the pandemic and the need for human connection that grew out of it.
