Vidya Balan and Raj Arjun starrer ‘Natkhat’ exposes deep-rooted patriarchy in Indian society

July 24, 2021

Short films offer a great platform for young and upcoming filmmakers to showcase their talents. But, making a short film is always a tricky proposition. For, the financial prospects are quite uncertain. However, the one thing that drives such productions is passion as the constant threats and fears often serve...

A DARING BUT SOMEWHAT INCOMPLETE RETELLING OF QUEEN ANNE BOLEYN’S STORY

July 17, 2021

Almost 500 years after her death, Anne Boleyn remains a highly divisive figure in history. Some see her as a power-hungry woman who seduced King Henry VIII, forcing the ‘pious’ king to annul his first marriage to Katherine of Aragon. Others see her as a humanitarian and a reformer who...

A virtual concert ‘Peer Parai Jane Re’ raises funds for pandemic-hit artists

July 17, 2021

The uncertainty created by Covid-19 has had far and wide consequences. The artists are amongst those worst hit by the pandemic. Sanskar Bharati, an organisation that works to promote Indian art and culture, recently organised a virtual concert ‘Peer Parai Jaane Re’ to raise funds to support artists battling the...

EMMYS 2021: ‘THE CROWN’ & ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ LEAD NOMINATIONS

July 15, 2021

The nominees for the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced. The awards night will be held in Los Angeles on September 19, 2021. Now, some of the Indian shows have tasted some success at the International Emmy Awards in the recent times but some media outlets have failed to...

‘SAUDAGAR’: THE CLASH OF TWO TITANS

July 8, 2021

Riding high on the success of Ram Lakhan (1989), Subhash Ghai was trying to challenge himself by making a movie of an even bigger scale. But, as soon as he had the story ready with him, he faced an even bigger challenge. Basically, he wanted two star actors in the...

‘ORIGINAL SIN’ MEETS ROALD DAHL IN A HALF-BAKED MISHMASH OF IDEAS & GENRES

July 3, 2021

Haseen Dillruba, the latest offering from Netflix India, begins on a note of suspense. Just as the film’s female protagonist Rani (Taapsee Pannu) is about to enter her house, there is a huge explosion which kills her husband Rishu (Vikrant Massey). The misogynistic police officers don’t think twice before arresting...

NETFLIX’S ANTHOLOGY SERIES BASED ON SATYAJIT RAY’S SHORT STORIES HAS ITS SHARE OF HIGHS AND LOWS

June 26, 2021

Since the grand success of the opening season of Sacred Games back in 2018, Netflix India has been struggling to produce something of the same pedigree. On one hand, Netflix has emerged as one of the forerunners at the leading international forums, including the Oscars and the Emmys, but its...

VIDYA BALAN’S COMPELLING PORTRAYAL OF A FOREST OFFICER HELPS AMIT MASURKAR DELIVER THE PERFECT FOLLOW UP TO ‘NEWTON’

June 19, 2021

After a hiatus of 4 years, Amit Masurkar, the writer-director of Newton, has finally returned with his next film, Sherni, released as an Amazon Original. The film stars Vidya Balan in the lead role of an honest and tenacious forest officer caught at the centre of human-animal conflict. If Newton...

UNCANNY PAIRING OF HIDDLESTON AND WILSON PROPELS ‘LOKI’ TO A FASCINATING SPACE

June 12, 2021

The new Disney+ series “Loki” based on the Marvel Comics character Loki Odinson aka God of Mischief is yet another reminder why American television is on a roll. Loki is the latest proof that the small screen is going to be an important avenue for the further expansion of the...

BARRY JENKINS’ ‘THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD’ IS A WORK OF IMMENSE BEAUTY AND PAIN

June 5, 2021

The opening line of the Preamble of the United States Declaration of Independence emphatically reads, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”...