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’ review – 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 With A Message On Women Empowerment
Amol Palekar directed Paheli. The actor who came to the 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 messy relationships, and in […]
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 : 10 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…’ Rajnigandha phool tumhare bikhre yunhi jeevan mein…” Writes lyricist Yogesh for Basu Chatterjee’s Rajnigandha. The words roughly translate to: “Since I’ve given him every right […]
Read Time : 14 Minutes
When Alphonse Puthren’s ‘Premam’ Made History in Malayalam Cinema
Nostalgia in cinema has evolved into a formula. It sells easier than sanitizer in this COVID-struck planet as a good chunk of moviegoers being millennials who cultivate fond memories of the ‘90s and 2000s. Is there a thing around nostalgia from the ‘80s or ‘70s? Not many I am aware […]
Read Time : 11 Minutes
“Bunty Aur Babli”… High on energy, chemistry and delicious Bollywood spice!
Released in Summer 2005, it is a mystery how a Hindi feature like Shaad Ali Sahgal’s Bunty Aur Babli would become a major commercial success. Small town stories might be the toast of the town on this date but the early 2000s were known for NRI themes and urban coming-of-age […]
Read Time : 6 Minutes
‘Mammo’: Story of a Mother Torn Between Love and Politics
Shyam Benegal’s Mammo is a thought-provoking film to watch on Mother’s Day. The title character Mammo alias Mehmooda Begum is essayed by Farida Jalal, the epitome of motherhood in Hindi cinema. Not so unpredictably, motherly love is the projecting trait the character brings along. That aside, this quiet, affecting film […]
Read Time : 17 Minutes
The Immortal Appeal of Swarnalatha’s Golden Voice
Back in the early ‘90s when I was slowly being enticed by the magic of film music, it was easy to observe K S Chithra‘s unparalleled reign across Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu languages. Chithra was the heroine’s voice and her name hogged the cassette inlay cards. For any other […]