bollywood Archives

Anek Review: Raw, but Ultimately Rewarding to Watch

Anek isn’t perfect or even gainful in storytelling for most parts, but in mainstreaming a conversation about the North-East we seldom have, it serves the purpose of a trigger, our industry needs to explore and experiment.

Divya Unny July 3, 2016

Bollywood

Chhe Din, Ladki Not In: Will the Year of #MeToo Usher in a New Kind of Bollywood Hero?

No film in the ’90s had a woman character whose first “no” was accepted – instead her consent was treated as a challenge by the hero. But in a year when #MeToo ruled our cultural consciousness, will that old idea of what a Bollywood hero is supposed to be, change?

Manik Sharma July 3, 2016

Bollywood

The Celebrity Death Syndrome: Mortality on Our Minds

Death happens. We ignore it, if we can. When we can’t, as is in the case of celebrities like Sridevi or a loved one, we rush deep into denial, frantically looking for scapegoats to explain the freak occurrence. And then we move on.

Runjhun Noopur July 2, 2016

Culture

Half Girlfriend, Complete Moron: The Anatomy of a Chetan Bhagat Heroine

It’s not just real-life women with whom Chetan Bhagat seems to share a tetchy relationship. The author’s heroines are always one-dimensional, unattainable college girls. They are quite stupid when it comes to matters of the heart — which is why they inevitably end up with one of Bhagat’s douchebag protagonists.

Kahini Iyer July 2, 2016

Bollywood

Thappad Review: Anubhav Sinha’s Film on Domestic Violence Settles for Easy Solutions

Although it is backed by a compelling performance by Tapsee Pannu, Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad serves a crowd-pleasing definition of feminism that is more interested in making a statement rather than interrogating the status quo.

Poulomi Das July 2, 2016

Gender

Despite Bollywood Influences, I am Raising Two Feminist Sons. Here’s How To Do It

My sons and I love watching Bollywood movies together, but finding a film devoid of misogyny, objectification of women, and innuendo is a task. How do I explain to my kids what is wrong with “6 din, Ladki in” when SRK is mouthing it as if it’s the most chivalrous way to woo a girl in Kal Ho Naa Ho?

Aarti Pathak July 1, 2016

Pop Culture

How India and Pakistan Made Adolf Hitler Pop-Culture Friendly in their Movies

Over the years, Bollywood has freely used references to Adolf Hitler to denote a certain kind of behaviour in men. In 3 Idiots, Rancho addresses Farhan’s dad as Hitler Qureshi for his strict and authoritative nature and in Krodh, Suneil Shetty earns the moniker because he is extremely protective of his five sisters.

Sayantan Mondal June 29, 2016

Bollywood

Papa Kehte Hain: The Anti-Poetic Anthem for the Angsty Soul

Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, which has just completed 32 years, was a first of many firsts. It gave the nation an anthem whose strains we can still hear today. Anand-Milind’s “Papa Kehte Hain” changed the country’s music for good.

Manik Sharma June 29, 2016

Pop Culture

Vikram Vedha Review: Wholesomely Entertaining

Saif Ali Khan brings grace to the role of Vikram but it is the charisma of Hrithik Roshan’s Vedha that delights in this mass entertainer shouldered by a terrific script.

Takshi Mehta June 28, 2016

Bollywood

20 Years of Hello Brother: The Embarrassing Yet Enduring Legacy of the “Pungi”

In 2019, twisting your homies’ nipples in public is a flagbearer of inappropriate behaviour. But in the hallways of my school back in 2001, a time when we boys lacked foresight and sensitivity, “pungis” were all about brotherhood.

Jackie Thakkar June 28, 2016