bollywood Archives

Why Ritesh Batra Wants to Remain the Bollywood Outsider Forever

Ritesh Batra spent close to a year to put together Photograph through global pre-sales, selling it in every territory of the world to different distributors before actually shooting it. It’s a remarkable demonstration of a director maximising his reputation to buy his stories the kind of independence that even mainstream filmmakers crave for.

Poulomi Das April 3, 2016

Pop Culture

Where Did Himesh Reshammiya Go? An Xposé…

A short decade ago, Himesh Reshammiya was performing sold out shows at Wembley and singing almost every second Bollywood chartbuster. Today, as the man — nay legend — celebrates his 46th birthday, it’s worth asking, “Where the hell did Himesh Reshammiya go?”

#VALUE! April 3, 2016

People

Forever the Extra: The Alternate Reality of a Bollywood Struggler

Bollywood strugglers are routinely ridiculed, for their “Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon” aspirations. But when you’re a struggler, what you need most is a thick skin, and a steely determination bordering on delusion.

Ananya N April 2, 2016

Pop Culture

Goodbye Review: Amitabh Bachchan Leads a Largely Charming Film

The Amitabh Bachchan led film wants to explore the aftermath of death, and bar a few sloppy moving parts, is largely charming and likeable.

Pradeep Menon April 1, 2016

Pop Culture

Anaarkali and the Assumptions of Availability

Anaarkali of Arrah is relevant to every woman engaged in a profession where being attractive is mandatory. To men, the fact that they've paid for a service, extends to them having paid for the woman's company.

Poulomi Das March 31, 2016

People

There Really is No one Else like Amruta Subhash

Amruta Subhash has most recently been tackling middle-class disenchantment, but her range of work and portrayal of the many bittersweet agonies of life, makes her a truly unique artist.

Pradeep Menon March 31, 2016

Bollywood

Mission Mangal Review: An Infuriating Space Parody that Manages to Waste Five Actresses

Akshay Kumar's Mission Mangal joins the ranks of Bollywood space films that have no idea how to be one. The mission’s female scientists contribute nothing save for pressing a few buttons or looking worried, and if the film is to be believed, space travel is as easy as catching a Pokemon.

Poulomi Das March 31, 2016

Pop Culture

Runway 34 Review: Doesn’t Land as Well as it Could Have

Ajay Devgn stars and directs this latest film about a miraculous plane landing. But what is a good premise to begin with is eventually wasted in this caricaturist portrayal of a near accident and the intrigue surrounding it.

Takshi Mehta March 31, 2016

Bollywood

Kaalia, Bob Biswas and Circuit: The Side Characters Without Whom No Bollywood Plot is Kaamyaab

A Bollywood film is incomplete without a “side hero” – you know, the “hero ka dost”. But side characters have risen from the forgotten corners of history, and thanks to social media, often find their own audience. Sanjay Mishra’s Kaamyaab reminds us of the long road side characters have had to tread.

Sayantan Mondal March 30, 2016

Bollywood

Meet the Real PadMan Before Bollywood Ruins It

“Menstrual hygiene can’t be tackled by an advertising or a marketing team,” said Arunachalam Muruganantham toward the end of Amit Virmani’s 2013 documentary Menstrual Man. Will Akshay Kumar’s PadMan prove him wrong?

Poulomi Das March 30, 2016