Film: Ram Janmabhoomi Movement and ‘Mohalla Assi’
By Vivek Raj
“Lord Rama had gone to exile for peace and harmony of Ayodhya and their so-called devotees are fighting for building a temple.”
The Demonisation of the Muslim Subject: An Analysis of ‘Kesari’ as a Nationalistic Enterprise
By Shyaonti Talwar
“No Mamma,” said my son with an air of finality and infinite wisdom. “He is not Indian. He is Muslim. He is Pakistani. You don’t know.” And then he added with the same certainty and show of infinite wisdom as he sensed me doubting his statement, “All Muslims are Pakistanis.”
A conversation with actor, Rakesh Chaturvedi
By Murtaza Ali Khan
In this interview, Rakesh Chaturvedi talks about his character in Anurag Singh’s Kesari and how he prepared for it, his experience of working with Akshay Kumar, and his upcoming projects.
Film: Half-Truths and ‘Hamid’
By Mekhala Chattopadhyay
Aijaz Khan does not forge solutions or answers to what exists, but shows what is there, as a part of the lived experience. He does not answer the question whether Hamid retains the hope card through his teenage, and beyond. The discomfort is evident, but not spoken for or against.
The profiling of Dalit characters in Hindi cinema over the years
By Puja Roy
They have been depicted as dark and timid (Damul, 1985), primitive and scantily dressed (Mrigaya, 1977), alcoholic (Ankur, 1974), and sometimes, even physically challenged (Lagaan, 2001). A happy, cheerful Dalit character doing normal things that others do has hardly been shown on screen.
‘Smug’: A dystopia of tradition-less existence
By Nabanita Sengupta
In a dark, scary world of collective amnesia stretched to its extreme, the only ray of hope is in form of the little girl who personifies a new beginning. ‘Smug’ raises questions, forces us to think but leaves each of us to find our own answers and undertake our own journeys.
Film Review: ‘Varathan’: A Dark survival thriller cloaked as poetry on reel
By Jinju S.
Varathan is indeed poetry on reel with a timely message for society and a must-watch.
‘Victor’s History’: A reminder that rewriting history has never been as easy as it has become today
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Directed by a French-American filmmaker, named Nicolas Chevaillier, Victor’s History revolves around a proud son, Victor, who hires an African-Vietnamese investigative journalist, Dorian and an Indian documentary filmmaker, Zuhair in a bid to try and immortalize his late father by making a film about his great achievements. He firmly believes that his father deserves a permanent place in the annals of history.
Film Review: Salvatore Allocca’s ‘Taranta on the Road’
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Italian filmmaker Salvatore Allocca’s award-winning comedy film Taranta on the Road tells the story of a Tunisian man and a woman, Tarek and Amira, who have illegally come to Italy with the hope of a better future, after having closely witnessed the revolution in Tunisia.
Film: Women in ‘Lust Stories’
By Prashila Naik
Bhumi Pednekar, a generally fine actress, does wonders with this role. The scene where she serves tea to the two sets of parents and then walks towards the bedroom to serve the younger ‘couple’, is a stunning indictment of how deep-rooted class-divides will continue to remain, even if physical and sexual boundaries are crossed.
‘Watchmaker’: A brave experiment in Indian cinema
By Nabanita Sengupta
Anindya Banerjee in ‘Watchmaker’ does not entertain. He provokes the audience to think. Together with his actors, he raises uncomfortable questions regarding the extremely intangible notion of time and leaves the answer open. ‘Watchmaker’ does not answer any question; it opens up many new ones and therein lies its success. The film is multi-layered, and a brave attempt in Indian cinema to represent the abstract.
Film: What ‘Kaatru Veliyidai’ says about psychologically toxic relationships
By Anjali Bhavan
Perhaps the main problem is that the film celebrates this romance – VC is a lovable hero, and Leela our delicate heroine. This is an abusive relationship that mustn’t be romanticized, but we are instead shown dance sequences and VC sliding his finger down her nose, her face, her neck, then further down.
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