Potpourri: of love and hate

potpourri

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What's Love Got to Do with It?

In her screenwriting debut, Jemima Khan takes a cross-cultural look at love in What's Love Got to Do with It?, a delightful film that spruces the British romcom formula by garnishing it with Pakistani flavours. Lily James's loverlorn Zoe decides to follow her best friend, Shahzad Latif's Kaz, as he opts for an arranged marriage with a bride from Pakistan, documenting his journey for her next film. Things don't go quite as planned, however; although when it comes to matters of the heart, you can't really expect them to.

With a terrific cast (that also includes the likes of Emma Thompson, Shabana Azmi, and Sajal Aly) and a sweet script, What's Love is a downright charming romcom with lovable characters, touching (albeit predictable) drama, and a refreshingly warm look at Pakistani culture.

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Spare by Prince Harry

The bizarre saga of the publicity-obsessed Sussexes continues in Spare, a memoir by Prince Harry that finds the writer spilling the tea on the mess that is the British royal family. The biography takes a look at Harry's childhood and his mother's death, his time in the military, and his relationship with Meghan Markle, while criticising the press and throwing his family – including “Pa” and “Willy” - under the proverbial bus.

Spare isn't exactly a literary masterpiece, and for a salacious tell-all, it's surprisingly dull and off-puttingly “woe is me”. It's ultimately more of a “borrow from the library” than a “spend your money on” volume.

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June's Journey

Follow amateur sleuth June Parker as she solves mysteries and navigates life in June's Journey, a globe-trotting hidden object game set in the 1920s that lets you earn coins by finding objects in scenes, then spend the coins on purchasing decorations to beautify your island(s). For a more social element, you can join a club, share drinks for rewards, and play bi-weekly competitions.

It's a fun game that keeps you invested with likeable characters and interesting storylines. Resist the urge to spend actual money on the game though – Wooga really wants your cash, but June's Journey is very playable without spending a single rupee; you're going to have to watch in-app ads though, which can be kind of a drag.

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 17th March, 2023 *