One must give it to SS Rajamouli for being the one-of-a-kind visionary he is in Indian film industry today. To shatter the opening number records otherwise dominated by the Khan triumvirate is no mean deal. Heck, the season almost feels festive. Film viewers in a nation of 1.3 billion are […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
“Noor”… This Sonakshi Sinha film lacks empathy!
As Sunhil Sippy’s Noor concludes, one tries to equate its intentions with Madhur Bhandarkar’s acclaimed (and arguably one-note) Page 3. The titular character in Noor intends to explore quality journalism, which for her is showcasing her ‘well-researched’ stories to the world. What she doesn’t inculcate is an actual passion for her chosen vocation. […]
Read Time : 6 Minutes
“Begum Jaan”… Loud and louder!
The theme of a brothel madame’s intense attachment to her kotha is well-dissected in Hindi cinema courtesy various films centred on bygone tawaif culture. We have seen that in Muzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan (1981). The tepid re-adapatation in 2006 took a twist that is similar to Begum Jaan‘s crux. Shabana Azmi’s Khanum Jaan refuses […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
“Kaatru Veliyidai” is a fitting ode to bizarre ways of love!
What do you call a person who is constantly yearning for love, but can’t look beyond himself in a relationship? Real, perhaps. Mani Ratnam‘s latest offering Kaatru Veliyidai inspects romantic relationships and its most visceral, vulnerable areas. Narrating lives of two diverse individuals in a tumultuous courtship, it is this very […]
Read Time : 6 Minutes
“Poorna”… Simplicity elevates this underdog story!
Poorna is the story of the youngest girl ever to conquer the majestic Mount Everest. Very early in the film, we see Poorna’s doting and vigorous cousin sister Priya help her tread an uphill path to their school while humming what they call a ‘Ginti Geet‘. This daily routine could be […]