I clearly remember watching Vishal Bhardwaj’s The Blue Umbrella back in 2007. If Tinder were to exist then for teenagers, ‘voracious reader’ would have been the first two words in my bio. Ruskin Bond, to me, was the story-telling grandpa I never had. So much so that I even remember […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
“Raat Akeli Hai” untangles family secrets in a chilling murder mystery!
An aged aristocrat dies mysteriously in the night of a life event. Under the lens of suspicion are his prospective heirs and a woman who is not a part of the family. These aren’t the lines for Knives Out in the ‘describe the synopsis of your favourite film badly’ challenge. […]
Read Time : 7 Minutes
“Lootcase” celebrates the hysteria of Mumbai with wacky characters and deadly humour!
A lower-middle-class man named Nandan (Kunal Kemmu) finds a large trolley-bag outside a urinal somewhere in Mumbai. It is way past midnight and a shot from inside the bag gives a glimpse of his popping eyes. This cash-stacked bag is the film’s pivot – it is the loot case. The […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
“Shakuntala Devi” Designs a Math Wizard’s Story As a Glitzy, Formulaic Melodrama!
Director Anu Menon’s Shakuntala Devi is one film that seriously made me ponder. At what point does a filmmaker decide a non-linear screenplay structure to his/her film? Maybe because I am revisiting several pre-2000s films in days of quarantine – some good, some bad and some which shouldn’t have existed. […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
“Dil Bechara”… Sushant Singh Rajput headlines a film about death and closure!
The moment you hit the play button, you know where Dil Bechara is headed. It would still be an emotional ride to a routine Indian viewer even if it were to be a Fast & Furious-styled actioner. Mukesh Chhabra’s film makes it further difficult for us. Its much loved leading […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
“Undertow” is a haunting love story with an achingly beautiful finale!
Peru is one of the most affected countries in the world to be plagued by COVID-19 pandemic. The nation’s poor and lower-middle-class are struggling to combat the virus due to inadequate healthcare facilities despite an early lockdown. That reminds me of director Javier Fuentes-León‘s 2009 film Undertow (Spanish: Contracorriente) which was set […]
Read Time : 10 Minutes
“Bulbbul”… A feminist period piece which blooms like a fascinating fable!
A scene in Anvita Dutt’s magnificent debut Bulbbul has its leading lady crying next to the fireplace. One that drove in the memory of Elio sobbing his heart out in Call Me By Your Name, she is crying over losing the love of her life. Both Bulbbul and Elio have […]
Read Time : 13 Minutes
“Paheli”… A picturesque folk tale which quietly addresses women empowerment!
Amol Palekar directed Paheli. The actor who came to limelight in the ’70s and ’80s as the young middle-class man in bustling Indian metropolises, one would identify him as the poster boy of everydayness. He was seen in stories devoid of extra colours, those with dishevelled relationships and in lyrical […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
“Gulabo Sitabo”… Story of a shaky mansion that screams for a firmer foundation!
Gulabo Sitabo is a strange title for a film. It does not mean anything in isolation. However, it is catchy enough to pique some interest in an otherwise drab looking film. As the opening credits roll, we see a puppeteer showcasing his twin puppets, “Gulabo fights, Sitabo fights,” The quarrel […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
“Rajnigandha”… About a fragrance that smells like love!
“Adhikaar ye jabse saajan ka har dhadkan par maana maine Main jabse unke saath bandhi, ye bhed tabhi jaana maine Kitna sukh hai bandhan mein…” Writes lyricist Yogesh for Basu Chatterjee’s Rajnigandha. The words roughly translate to: “Since I’ve given him every right over my heartbeats, Since I’ve become attached […]
