Who does like a good laugh? Laughter releases happy hormones called endorphins into our bodies that are known to alleviate pain and even cure psychosomatic illnesses.

What we watch on TV impacts our mood and energy. Here's a list of feel-good web series and movies guaranteed to make you smile and laugh. Don't worry if some of these are in a language you don't speak or understand. They all come with English subtitles.

1. Panchayat

Set in a remote village in UP, this heart-warming series is about a young man, Abhishek Tripathy, who applies for a job as the Panchayat secretary in a desperate attempt because he has failed to find a corporate one.

He is unhappy with his circumstances when he has to live a humble life in the village and decides to work toward studying better and securing a more respectable (in his eyes) job.

With dialogues (in chaste Hindi) to make you chuckle, well-etched-out characters and a perfect star cast, the episodes bring out the grass root realities of rural life with ease and simplicity. The series is reminiscent of the Doordarshan era. You end up rooting for the unsuspecting 'Sachivji' who gets unwittingly drawn into the simple life of the villagers.

The series has completed three seasons but is far from over.

Watch it here: https://bit.ly/3h5in8i

2. Putham Pudhu Kaalai

This film in Tamizh is an anthology of five short stories, each directed by five different directors, including Suhasini Maniratnam and Gautam Menon. The film packs a punch of flavours, from a love story between a senior couple to an awkward grandfather-granddaughter relationship to evolving friendship.

The episodes were shot during the 2020 lockdown and explore complex human emotions. The narration is breezy and delves just the right amount into the sticky parts of life's relationships. The message at the end of each story spells out hope and optimism. Watch out for some melodious songs woven within the stories.

Watch it here: https://bit.ly/3UyDSfz

3. Jhimma

This Marathi film is about an all-women group travelling to London with a tour operator. The women are of different ages, come from disparate backgrounds and circumstances and meet each other for the first time on the trip. The film is about their struggles and how they evolve as individuals as the journey progresses.

Jhimma in Marathi is a game played by girls holding hands. What I liked best about the film was how the women bond with one another and show support despite their differences in outlook.

Often, we forget to appreciate our colleagues or fellow beings or refrain from offering support because somewhere, a tiny flame of jealousy or ego sparks up, and we hold back. I had read somewhere: 'alone, we can do little, but together so much more.' How true!

Watch it here: https://bit.ly/3F8zBJW

4. Alex in Wonderland

Who hasn't heard of the stand-up comedian Alexander Babu, popularly known as Alex? To introduce when him as simply a comedian seems unfair because he's a rare mix of many talents. Before he took up stand-up comedy and theatre as full-time professions, he worked as a software engineer. He's also a musician and yoga instructor.

Alex in wonderland is a Tamil stand-up-cum-musical, a debut production for Amazon Prime. The 120-minute show is rib-tickling, as Alex takes you down memory lane of the Tamil music and film era in his typical humorous way. Generously peppered with his excellent mimicry of yesteryear singers and actors, Alex also effortlessly ties up humour with life philosophy and lessons. Singing, drama, dialogues, and comedy, Alex aces on all fronts. It's a show worth watching on repeat mode.

Watch here: https://bit.ly/3Bg9tfg

5. Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25

A young man moves away from his small village in Kerala for better job prospects leaving his old and conservative father in their ancestral home. To combat his father's loneliness, he comes up with the ingenious idea of programming an Android robot to take care of his father while he's away.

The father is opposed to the idea and resists it, but eventually, the robot finds its way into his heart. The scenes between the robot and the father are both comical and heart-warming.

This Malayalam film handles the relevant yet sensitive topic of children having to move away from aged parents in pursuit of career or life goals and the older generation dealing with empty nests and loneliness. It uses satire to keep the mood light. The end is a little quirky and leaves you unsure about the message, but overall, this is a cute movie.

(The film has been remade in Tamil as Android Kuttappa.)

Watch here: https://bit.ly/3Y6Y2ju