Abhishek Chaubey seems to have had a bitter love life as both his directorial ventures had women, love and deceit, all in equal measures. Jokes apart, “Dedh Ishqiya” has much more in store. It has men (dangerous ones, at that), guns, thrills and rib-tickling comedy. Heralded as a sequel to […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
‘Bajirao Mastani’ review – a resplendent Bhansali magnum opus
Some films are such – they warrant a couple of watches for the elements to sink in. Of course, I did enjoy Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani on first watch too. The second watch, however, made me sit down and write! Let me begin with Priyanka Chopra’s intriguing Kashibai! She is this […]
Read Time : 8 Minutes
Shreya Ghoshal: Perhaps The Last Of Her Tribe in Indian Film Music
A playback singer in today’s times! How do we quantify their success? Most of them arrive, deliver a hit or two and leave the scene. India has seen legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar, Yesudas, Mohd. Rafi, SP Balasubramanium, S Janaki, K S Chitra, Sonu Nigam, Hariharan, Swarnalatha, […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Fitoor (2016) – Like a picture postcard
Kashmir. According to Bollywood, that’s where all outlandish stories take place. The location, for sure, is exotic. But if their story is a wee bit unconventional, our filmmakers flee to Kashmir. With no justification whatsoever. Well… Abhishek Kapoor’s adaptation of Dickens’ ‘Great Expectation’ is more of a Bollywood love saga […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Discovering the Dazzle of Cinema Through ‘Bombay’
Shekhar and Shaila Bano – Star-crossed lovers in tumultuous times of religious agitation. In the days when inter-religion marriages were taboo in interior India, these two met, fell in love and tied the knot. In true Mani Ratnam style, the sparks fly the moment they meet. Isn’t that just beautiful? Highly […]
Read Time : 8 Minutes
Queen (2014) – Hungama ho gaya!
Like Nargis Fakhri stated in her ‘Koffee with Karan’ talk show, “India is a culture that is so different that it takes some time for anyone to settle down here.” Pretty much same is the case with Indians who set out to travel abroad. How about that delightful little moment […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
‘Room’ review – a powerful, disturbing story of survival
Room. Not ‘the’ room or ‘a’ room. Well, I haven’t read the book. I don’t intend to either. But Lenny Abrahamson’s feature film is one that tugs our heartstrings. Be it the tautly adapted script, commendable direction, or the heart-warming performances, the film sets new benchmarks for the drama genre. […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Neerja (2016) – Fitting tribute to India’s brave daughter
Neerja. Translated in Indian languages as ‘lotus’, the name is beautiful. The last time I remember being enamoured by a leading lady’s name was in Rituparno Ghosh’s 2004 romance, ‘Raincoat’. Aishwarya Rai’s Neerja remains her best-performed role till date. Cut to 2016… here comes a role of a lifetime for […]
Read Time : 7 Minutes
‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ review – Transports us to the Basu Chatterjee era
First of all, a round of applause to director Sharat Katariya for not stereotyping Ayushmann Khurrana’s Prem Prakash Tiwary as a shallow schmuck. It could have been the easy way out with all sympathies driven to the leading lady with a couple of Satyamev Jayate-styled bhashans scripted by Aamir Khan. […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Airlift (2016) – When Akshay Kumar wakes up and smells the coffee!
I just thought to myself – When was the last time I wrote about an Akshay Kumar flick? Well… never! How many times in the past 10-15 years have I watched a film of his in theatre? Thrice. This pattern has nothing to do with my perception of his histrionic […]