Akshay Kumar Archives - Page 2 of 3

From Yash Chopra, With Love: The Man Who Convinced India Dil Toh Pagal Hai

Here’s the thing about Yash Chopra – despite the cliché that he is associated with, he never could be pinned down to a stereotype. Even as he defined the romantic canon, he went about redefining it with each film. Chopra was to India what Mills & Boon was for the rest of the world.

Shakun Saini June 6, 2016

Bollywood

Arré Checklist: How Protest Publicity Can Make Manikarnika and Super 30 a Hit

Now that Padmaavat has set the trend and Manikarnika is due to follow, the floodgates are open for protestors to come together against “offensive” films. Sinhal Classes will be perfect protest partners for Hrithik Roshan’s Super 30.

Dushyant Shekhawat June 4, 2016

Pop Culture

Cuttputlli review: Bland and Boring

Akshay Kumar is the weakest link in a film that rarely makes sense or has you at the edge of your seat.

Pradeep Menon May 31, 2016

Bollywood

21 Years of Hera Pheri: This Priyadarshan Comedy is Greatest Uplifter of All Time

In these dark times, my friends and I turn to Hera Pheri, the heist comedy that informed our childhoods. The Priyadarshan film is a bunch of guffaw-worthy skits, where the narrative is secondary. It has aged perfectly for the meme generation with our ten-second attention spans and voracious appetite for punchlines.

Jackie Thakkar May 28, 2016

Bollywood

Dear Bollywood, Enough With the Item Girls. Where Are the Item Boys?

Item girls shimmied their way into Bollywood back in the ’40s and there’s been no looking back ever since. Think Madhuri Dixit in “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” and Malaika Arora in “Munni Badnam Hui”. But where are our item boys? What is stopping Bollywood from tapping into the sea of testosterone?

Mallika Chakrawarti May 28, 2016

Bollywood

Make Sexist Remarks, Then Throw a Tantrum: Rohit Shetty, Superstar Director and Man-Child

Sooryavanshi director Rohit Shetty received flak for his sexist remark against Katrina Kaif. After being trolled for his “no one’s going to look at you” comment, you’d think he’d apologise. Instead, he unfollows the actress on Instagram.

Poulomi Das May 24, 2016

Bollywood

PadMan Review: Stained by Clichés. Period.

In his latest socially conscious outing, PadMan, Akshay Kumar lends his support to women empowerment, and his wife, the self-proclaimed Mrs Funnybones, is by his side. R Balki may be credited as the director of PadMan, but it is in fact Khanna’s very expensive Juhu lens that dominates much of the film.

Poulomi Das May 13, 2016

Pop Culture

Reaching For the Stars: How Koffee With Karan Got us Closer to Bollywood

Almost 14 years ago, writer-director-producer, Karan Johar did the unthinkable: He brought our favourite Bollywood stars from the big screen, straight into our living rooms. Rarely have our stars been as relatable as they have been on Koffee With Karan.

Arré Bench May 11, 2016

Bollywood

In Josh-Filled 2019 Would Main Hoon Na, Bollywood’s Masala Movie on the Military, Find Any Takers?

Few films seem further from today’s cinemascape of chest-thumping nationalism than the 2004 film Main Hoon Na. The lighthearted patriotic film about “Project Milaap”, an Indo-Pak peace operation would probably be labelled “anti-national” in today’s times.

Kahini Iyer May 6, 2016

Bollywood

Laxmii Review: A Film That Has Managed to Offend Men, Women, Transpeople, Writers & Directors

Bollywood’s latest fad is to course correct its own history of ignorance. Laxmii is the latest casualty of this impetus to display big-ticket morality. The tedious nature of Laxmii’s politics is draining. Some of the film’s moral lecturing is done with the half-heartedness of a Covid mask hanging below the chin. The writing is bizarre, especially when it concerns itself with pseudo-religious ideas.

Manik Sharma May 3, 2016