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THE BEST SERIES RECOMMENDATIONS TO WATCH

THE BOLD

TYPE (Netflix) The Bold Type is an American comedy-drama television series created by Sarah Watson and produced by Universal Television for Freeform. It is inspired by the life and career of former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine Joanna Coles, who is executive producer of the series. Filmed in Toronto, Montreal, and New York City, the series chronicles the lives of three millennial women, portrayed by Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee, and Meghann Fahy, all of whom are employed at a fictional global publication called Scarlet in New York City. LUPIN (Netflix) The story follows professional thief Assane Diop, the only son of an immigrant from Senegal who had come to France to seek a better life for his child. Assane's father is framed for the theft of an expensive diamond necklace by his employer, the wealthy and powerful Hubert Pellegrini, and hangs himself in his prison cell out of shame, leaving the teenage Assane an orphan.

(Netflix) Bridgerton is an American streaming television period drama series created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes. It is based on Julia Quinn’s novels set in the competitive world of Regency era London’s ton during the season, when debutantes are presented at court. It is Rhimes’s first scripted Netflix series.

BOMBAY BEGUMS

(Netflix) Set in contemporary urban India, five women, across generations, wrestle with desire, ethics, personal crises and vulnerabilities to own their ambition.

THE A LIST (Netflix)

The A List is a British teen thriller streaming television series created by Dan Berlinka and Nina Metivier, The central character is Mia (Lisa Ambalavanar), who arrives at a summer camp on an island that turns out to hold dark secrets.

NEVER HAVE

I EVER (Netflix) Never Have I Ever is an American coming-of-age comedy-drama television series starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher. The comedy is loosely based on Kaling's childhood experiences in the Boston area. It is about an IndianAmerican high school student dealing with the death of her father.

UNSTOPPABLE

(Netfllix) The series revolves around three wealthy friends, Rocío, Vera, and Carlota, who decide to take a road trip to Oaxaca and on the way meet a stranger who changes their lives.

VALERIA (Netflix) Set in Madrid, the plot revolves around Valeria, a writer who feels that something is missing in her marriage and writing.

EYES (Netflix) Behind Her Eyes follows the story of Louise, a single mother, whose "world is thrown off kilter when she begins an affair with her new boss, David, and matters take an even stranger turn when she’s drawn into an unlikely friendship with his wife, Adele. What starts as an unconventional love triangle soon becomes a dark, psychological tale of suspense and twisted revelations, as Louise finds herself caught in a dangerous web of secrets where nothing and no-one is what they seem.

THE SERPENT (Netflix)

Set in the mid-1970s, the story follows Charles Sobhraj, a French serial killer of Indian and Vietnamese descent, as he drugs and robs travellers, particularly young backpackers, travelling through Bangkok, Thailand, along the overland. He steals his victims' passports and identities to travel the world and sells stolen gems with girlfriend Marie-Andrée Leclerc. Charles Sobhraj is at the height of his crimes when a Dutch diplomat, Herman Knippenberg, begins investigating the murders of Dutch tourists and uncovers clues leading to Sobhraj.

GINNY & GEORGIA

THE FAMILY MAN (Amazon

Prime) The Family Man follows the story of Srikant Tiwari, who works as a senior officer in the Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell (TASC), which is a part of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India. He is a married man with two kids, and the first season follows an investigation of a potential terrorist attack, while simultaneously following his slightly unsettled family life. (Netflix) Ginny & Georgia follows Ginny Miller, a "15-yearold who is more mature than her 30-year-old mother", Georgia, in a New England town where Georgia decides to settle down with her daughter Ginny and son Austin to give them a better life than she had.

THE QUEEN’S

GAMBIT (Netflix) The Queen's Gambit is a coming-of-age story that explores the true cost of genius. Abandoned and entrusted to a Kentucky orphanage in the late 1950s, a young Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) discovers an astonishing talent for chess while developing an addiction to tranquilizers provided by the state as a sedative for the children.

(Amazon Prime) The show revolves around Hathiram Chowdhary (Jaideep Ahlawat), a cynical cop who gets assigned to investigate a high-profile case. As he gets caught in the investigation, he gets dragged into the darker realms of the underworld. Paatal Lok is inspired by traditional concepts of Svarga, Dharti and Paatal (heaven, earth and the hell), as metaphors for the different classes of India and the four estates, with the Paatal (hell) being served as the prime phase of the storyline, which takes places in East Delhi.

BANDISH

BANDITS (Amazon Prime) Classical music student Radhe and pop sensation Tamanna, coming from very different worlds of music, set out together on a journey of selfdiscovery to see if opposites, though they might attract, can also adapt and go the long haul.

TANDAV (Amazon Prime) Tandav is the coming together of different worlds under the gamut of politics. It is a dramatic take of the powerplay between people at the high level to secure their position. Youth plays a significant role in the story as we see where their future is headed in this dark abyss of politics.

SIX (Hot Star) An amazing thriller drama, a murder mystery one murder 6 suspects. Battling hidden motives and pure emotions.

PANCHAYAT (Amazon Prime) Panchayat shows the experiences of a city boy who after completing his graduation gets a low salary job in a remote village called Phulera.

RAKSHA BANDHAN: TIME TO CELEBRATE SIBLINGS

Everyone knows that No love is bigger than the love of siblings! Raksha Bandhan is a holy festival that is all about the love brothers and sisters share. On this day, sister’s tie rakhi around the wrist of her brother, signifying their affection towards him. Raksha Bandhan that is also knows as the bond of protection is celebrated on a full-moon day of Shravan month. Rakhi is one of the festivals that is celebrated every year with the same enthusiasm as it was celebrated centuries ago, it is one of the oldest festivals of India that is celebrated to strengthen the bond of love between a brother and sister. Raksha Bandhan celebration is where every sister ties rakhi on her brother’s wrist, performs aarti before her brother, puts tilak on his forehead and prays for his long life, success and well-being. After which, the brother in respect to all the efforts of her sister, gifts a rakhi gift as a token of love and a promise to take care of her and be by her side in the times of need. This holy festival reflects love among the sisters and brothers. Tulip brings to you a few special bonds of siblings and how they celebrate this day full of love.

RACHNA RAMCHANDANI AND MANISH RAMCHANDANI

What do you like about Raksha Bandhan? The best thing about Raksha Bandhan according to me is getting gifts from my brother and feeling blessed to have my brother on this special day.

How do you celebrate this special day? Me and my brother celebrate this special day watching our favourite movies, teasing each other, going on a long drive, and playing games with everyone in the family.

How would you describe your bond with your sibling? Our bond cannot be measured in words, the only thing I can say is that we can do anything for each other.

Your favourite memory with your sibling? My favourite memory with my brother is when I saw tears in his eyes for the first time while I was leaving after my marriage, and that was an emotional moment for us and something that really touched me.

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PRANAV ALLE PRIYANSHI ALLE AND MANSI ALLE

What do you like about Raksha Bandhan? The promise given to each other to stand with them through everything for eternity. The celebration of the bond we share and also the gifts.

How do you celebrate this special day? We wake up in the morning, dress up well, do a small pooja and tie rakhi, spend time with each other, make or get gifts for each other, talk about all the memories we've shared and laugh about all the silly ones.

How would you describe your bond with your sibling? Very strong, they're more like my best friends than my siblings, we share everything with each other and support each other's dreams and goals. Of course we fight sometimes but never go a day without talking to each other.

Your favourite memory with your sibling? When we were little and our parents would go off to work, so we had the house to ourselves. We would play silly games all day and have competitions where nobody won but we laughed throughout until our stomach hurt.

VEMUGANTI SINDHU VEMUGANTI SAKETH AND VEMUGANTI SAHITH

What do you like about Raksha Bandhan? The best thing I like about Raksha Bandhan, who doesn’t like gifts so of course it’s that.

How do you celebrate this special day? On this special day, all of us get ready, I tie rakhi to my brothers and then take their blessings after which all of us sit and enjoy the day together.

How would you describe your bond with your sibling? My brothers are like my best friends, we share each and everything that makes our bond even more special and stronger. They are my strength, with their love and support I can achieve anything in my life.

Your favourite memory with your sibling? I do not have a specific memory as every day I spend with them is special, we have so many memories together.

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DIVISHA GUPTA VANSH GUPTA AND PRANAV GUPTA

What do you like about Raksha Bandhan? The main reason I like Rakhi is that it celebrates the special bond I share with my brothers and at the same time it revives the emotional bonding. However, the excitement for exchanging presents will always remain a constant.

How do you celebrate this special day? On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, I apply a "tilak" on my brother’s foreheads, feed them sweets and tie rakhis on their wrists. While wishing for their health, prosperity and well-being. In addition to this, I also like to spoil them with a few presents showing my love and affection towards them. While in return my brothers also give me gifts followed by a promise to love and support me forever.

How would you describe your bond with your siblings? I feel my bond with both my brothers is beyond something that can be expressed in words. Although if I had to describe our bond in few words they would be unconditional love, care and support. Being the middle child I get the best of both worlds as I get to learn from one brother and I also get the opportunity to be a role model to the other.

Your favourite memory with your sibling? It’s almost impossible to pick a particular memory with either of them. Most of my treasured memories with my elder brother are from our childhood where we played, argued and reunited at all times. Moreover, the best-loved memory I have with my younger brother is from when I use to take him for painting classes. It was always a great bonding experience.

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SUSHMA REDDY AND CHAITANYA REDDY

What do you like about Raksha Bandhan? The fact that it is a glorious and enthusiastic Indian celebratory festival which is celebrated mainly amongst those who share the bond of brother and sister, they don’t have to be related by blood, sisters also tie Rakhi to their cousins, like me as I am a single child. I have always been intrigued by the varieties of Rakhis that are made during this festival. I somehow see a connection between Rakhis and Friendship Bracelets, the essence behind ‘Tying a band with a knot’ remains to be similar among various cultures despite the timelines. It leaves us with a message that says: Let us stay UN-ITED by the knots of concordance and let us stay UN-TIED by the knots of discordance.

How do you celebrate this special day? Having lived separately from each other, we never got the opportunity to celebrate this festival in a traditional way. During my childhood I remember sending him my Raksha Bandhan wishes via post by writing letters to him, they were enclosed with a Rakhi in them.

How would you describe your bond with your sibling? Being the only child in my family, my cousin is the closest to a sibling that I have, we share a special bond mainly because we were born exactly 5 days apart. We grew up spending our childhood days together at my grandparent’s place.

Your favourite memory with your sibling? When I was in 5th grade, I got a double promotion which took me straight to 7th grade, when I met him during the summer holidays at my grandma’s place he felt shattered that we no longer would remain on the same page. Eventually when I passed out of school, I opted for BiPC in intermediate but a year later I decided to switch to MPC, hence I lost a year by doing that. This landed me at the same place where my cousin was, he was in his first year of MPC as well. When we met for the summer vacation that year, I can’t explain how elated he was to see that we were back in the same boat. I have a clear memory of that moment when he had made it very obvious to me about how much he had missed out on me being at the same wavelength as him throughout those years.

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SHRUTI SARIN AND ABHISHEK SARIN

What do you like about Raksha Bandhan? The festival is beautiful as it celebrates the bond that we share as siblings. Tying Rakhi to our little brother is a symbol to always remind him that we are always here to protect and bless him with all that he wishes for, it also reminds us to stay strong & grow the bond.

How do you celebrate this special day? Every year, Aditi and I fly down to Bangalore, if our little brother is in town we celebrate this day with lots of Indian mithai! However, when Abhishek is in Dubai, we send him the Rakhi and a bunch of presents.

How would you describe your bond with your sibling? I’ve got a Sister, Aditi and a younger brother, Abhishek. Abhishek is 10 years younger to me and I’ve literally seen him grow up and become the kindest Human that he is today. I have to admit, I’ve been more of his mother than his sister.

Your favourite memory with your sibling? My favourite memories with Abhishek has always been on our Travel Diaries! It’s the only quality time we get to spend with each other. However, if I need to point out at one, it would be the trip I took to drop him off for his Engineering at BITS Pilani Dubai.

NIMISHA VORA AND NAMAN VORA

What do you like about Raksha Bandhan? What I like about Raksha Bandhan is the fact that we truly realize the value of siblings and cousins. I get free gifts, extra attention and tons of chocolate so I'm not complaining. But on a deeper level, that's the one time my brothers express what value I hold in their lives through different actions and I wouldn't trade that for the world.

How do you celebrate this special day? I'd choose to sit with all of my brothers and spend time with them for hours. Reminiscing old memories, making fun of each other, pulling legs and just being in their presence. I'd also love spending the day getting pampered.

How would you describe your bond with your sibling? My brother is the person I'm the closest to, we have a bond that is irreplaceable. We cover each other, know every secret of each other but more than that annoy each other's head off. I'd steal his clothes, he'll hit my teddy bears, I'd punch him, he'd barge in the room and leave the door open and yet at the end of the night we'd be honest about how we are feeling. He isn't someone who would go and kick someone who would hurt me, rather he's someone who would annoy me when I'm low and make me feel that I'm not alone, he holds a part of me.

Your favourite memory with your sibling? I have a box full of funny embarrassing and hilarious moments, that's an everyday thing. There was this one time: I was crying and was pretty bummed and low about something, the typical sad girl. He heard me and got super awkward, he comes up to me, lays a hand on my back and pats me twice. There was a change in my emotions instantly, it was enough for me to realize that I'm not the only one going through stuff and even if I was, I should go and binge watch FRIENDS with him rather than crying over a lost cause. I can also talk about the time he lost a MMA fight with me but he'll disagree that ever happened so I'll keep that till closed doors.