STREAMING services, like Netflix, continued to prosper as Covid-induced restrictions kept people away from theatres for most part of the year. And while more Pakistanis spent more time with Turkish productions, on the global stage it was South Korea that earned many a mile with titles, like Squid Games. With an estimated audience of more than 140 million worldwide, it became the most watched Netflix show of all time. TV is changing after all.

In the realm of conventional cinema, one of the biggest news related to the winning of Best Actor Oscar by Sir Anthony Hopkins for his portrayal of a man suffering from dementia in the movie The Father. This was 29 years after the Welsh actor had won his first Oscar for The Silence of the Lambs, Sir Anthony Hopkins won the Best Actor Oscar. This was the biggest surprise of the Awards, held in the shadow of the pandemic, as the late Chadwick Boseman, who died aged 43 in August 2020, had been tipped to win for his work Black Bottom.

Sir Anthony was not even in the audience to accept the Award. He instead posted a video message on his Instagram. “At 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award. I really didn't. I'm very grateful to the Academy, and thank you.” Thank YOU, Sir Anthony!