Meenakshi Sundareshwar poses a tough nut for Bollywood to crack. On one hand, there is the industry’s decades-old misconception about how people live in India’s southern states. On the other, there is the Tamil community’s reservation against the Hindi language and the possibility of what might be cultural appropriation. While the […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
‘Mimi’ review – Kriti Sanon packs a punch in an overlong surrogacy drama
In a tiny Rajasthani town called Shekhavati lives a beautiful dancer called Mimi (Kriti Sanon). She sways like a mermaid, smiles like a fairy. Mimi talks to cutouts of Bollywood starlets in her ultra-kitschy bedroom while harbouring dreams to dethrone them one day. However, like Vimmi of Bunty Aur Babli, […]
Read Time : 7 Minutes
‘Haseen Dillruba’ review – Vinil Mathew’s pulp thriller is devoid of layers and logic
An awkward husband, a seductive wife, and a handsome relative who comes visiting – say hello to the pillars of Haseen Dillruba helmed by Vinil Mathew who, back in 2014, gave us the charming Hasee Toh Phasee. With a premise that has been filling love triangle templates in fiction for […]
Read Time : 13 Minutes
‘No One Killed Jessica’: Chronicling a Murder That Shook The Nation
Marking its tenth anniversary on January 7, 2020, is filmmaker Raj Kumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica. The screen adaptation of the controversial Jessica Lall Murder Case, the film stirred the nation’s collective conscience – just the way the brutal incident did. Unlike several other Hindi films based on real […]
Read Time : 10 Minutes
‘Ludo’ review – Anurag Basu sprinkles emotions in a chaotic dark comedy
I never thought a day would come when Anurag Basu, of all filmmakers, would attempt a dark comedy. One of my personal favourites in contemporary Hindi cinema, Basu always brought to us complex human stories. They contained tinges of innocence, soul-stirring music, high voltage drama, and oodles of smiles. In […]
Read Time : 13 Minutes
‘Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare’ review – a compassionate ode to India’s working class heroines
The most fascinating characters in Alankrita Shrivastava’s Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare are two children. They are Dolly’s (Konkona Sensharma) sons – Bharat (Hearty Singh) and Pappu (Kalp Shah). A regular school boy, Bharat loves sports and is someone who might grow up into what they call an ‘alpha […]
Read Time : 8 Minutes
‘Class of ’83’ review – Bobby Deol is first-rate in a concise cop drama
For those who began watching Bollywood films around 1995 would know the sensation that Bobby Deol (the lead of Class of ’83) was. Blessed with bouncy curls, a lean physique, slick dance moves and a winsome smile, he was unlike any reigning hero from that period. In fact, he differed so starkly […]
Read Time : 11 Minutes
‘The Blue Umbrella’: A Vibrant, Magical Tale With a Hint Of Suspense
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 : 10 Minutes
‘Raat Akeli Hai’ review – 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 : 10 Minutes
‘Bulbbul’ review – a feminist period piece which blooms like a magical 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 […]