Poulomi Das, Author at Arré

Twinkle Khanna, The Fair-Weather Feminist

Twinkle Khanna has proved her mettle as a fair-weather feminist whose online persona rests on personal convenience. Her stance on the Mallika Dua controversy makes it clear that her online avatar is just an act of performative coolness.

Poulomi Das June 24, 2016

Bollywood

Hichki: A Cliche-Ridden Film that Underserves Rani’s Comeback

Hichki suffers from the same condition that afflicts most films with a social message: a severe case of good intentions that justifies the lack of risks. And there’s only so much heft Rani Mukherji can afford a half-baked comeback role.

Poulomi Das June 24, 2016

Pop Culture

Netflix’s “Unbelievable” Sets a Template for How to Sensitively Deal with True Stories of Rape

Netflix's Unbelievable, that comprises a record of both, how an investigation can go utterly wrong and how one carried out with the highest diligence can afford justice, feels like a defining show of our times. Based on real-life rape cases, the show is as much a reminder of the lapses of law and order as it is a plea that any system is as good as the people enforcing it.

Poulomi Das June 23, 2016

Pop Culture

Jagga Jasoos: A Lesson in Speech Therapy For Bollywood

Bollywood has almost always treated a stutter as comic relief. Maybe Jagga Jasoos will do for the speech impediment, what Taare Zameen Par was able to do for dyslexia.

Poulomi Das June 22, 2016

Pop Culture

Can You Laugh at Aziz Ansari’s Jokes and Not Feel Guilty in a Post-#MeToo World?

Aziz Ansari performed his comeback stand-up tour, “Road to Nowhere” in India this weekend. In the sold-out show in Mumbai, the comedian’s new set spiritedly acknowledged the predominant concern of the post-Me Too world: Are you trivialising the transgressions of outed men if you’re willing to renegotiate with their art?

Poulomi Das June 21, 2016

Bollywood

Ghost Stories Review: Dibakar Banerjee Single-Handedly Offers a Compelling Definition of Modern Horror

The dullness of Ghost Stories dilutes the urgency of a horror anthology. In the times that we live in, horror is everywhere you look – in state-sanctioned violence, in the militarisation of the police force, the othering of minorities, and in the clampdown of dissent. It’s probably why Dibakar Banerjee’s segment stands out: the director doesn’t just make a film, but also a statement.

Poulomi Das June 21, 2016

Love and Sex

The Bewitching Charm of Toxic Men

Fluent in the language of mindfuck and mixed signals, the toxic dude is adept at camouflaging as the failsafe mysterious boy. Why do we continue to seek them out?

Poulomi Das June 21, 2016

Pop Culture

The World Needs More Newtons

At a time when most of us have been conditioned to complain about the dismal state of the country, Rajkummar Rao’s Newton succeeds in doing the impossible: Making idealism aspirational again.

Poulomi Das June 20, 2016

Bollywood

More Fathers Like Bunny’s Dad from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Please!

We are so used to seeing martyr moms and haanikarak bapus on screen, that Farooq Shaikh’s portrayal as Bunny’s endearing dad in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani provides a much-needed respite. The film rejects stereotyping the older generation as dream killers.

Poulomi Das June 20, 2016

Bollywood

How Do Muslims Prove Their Patriotism? Mulk Asks the Right Question

Anubhav Sinha’s pleasantly hard-hitting Mulk doesn’t stray far from what is unfolding in the country at the moment. Just like in the film, an entire community has been othered and demonised. Muslims are repeatedly asked to prove their loyalty — a test that is automatically beyond their reach in a country that’s already decided that their religion excludes patriotism.

Poulomi Das June 20, 2016