bollywood Archives

Behind the Scenes at Baba Siddique’s Iftar Party

Once a year, Bollywood’s best and brightest stars attend a feast for the ages. What went down at this year’s party, where Shah Rukh was absent, Sallu was present, and Bobby Deol made a return to action?

Damian D'souza June 20, 2016

Bollywood

Thackeray Review: A Blind Love Letter to the Shiv Sena Supremo

We did not expect Thackeray, produced by Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut and directed by MNS’s Abhijit Panse, to be critical of the party supremo. But even their unabashed allegiance can’t prepare you for the relish with which the film glorifies the ugliest parts of Bal Thackeray’s legacy.

Sonali Kokra June 19, 2016

Bollywood

War Review: A Glorious Bollywood Action Entertainer that Reinvents Hrithik Roshan

Siddharth Anand’s War, starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff, is at once pulpy, stylish, racy, and surprisingly intelligent. It’s been a while since a Bollywood film has made action look this inviting.

Poulomi Das June 19, 2016

Bollywood

25 Years of Baazigar: Friendzoning, Power of Attorney and Other Life Lessons

Baazigar introduced us to a new weapon of mass destruction, the power of attorney. And Shah Rukh Khan’s Ajay Sharma taught us that if your contact lens game is on point, you can conquer the world.

Jackie Thakkar June 18, 2016

Pop Culture

Uunchai review: A Restrained Emotional Drama that Tugs at the Heart

Sooraj Barjatya returns to weave a simple, yet emotional narrative that hits all the right notes and is symbolic of the Director’s signature approach to cinema.

Pradeep Menon June 17, 2016

Bollywood

Gully Boy Isn’t the Year’s Finest Indian Film, But it is the Best Choice for the Oscars

You can be divided on whether Gully Boy is the finest film of the year, but it goes without saying that it is the best choice for the Oscars. An Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film doesn’t have to be an accurate representation of Indian cinema, it just has to have the financial might to sustain an Oscar campaign.

Poulomi Das June 17, 2016

Pop Culture

Daddy Got A Godfather

In the able hands of Ashim Ahluwalia, Arjun Rampal finds a rare middle ground as the eponymous Daddy, a complex and engaging character, one that Bollywood gangster dramas have been glaringly wanting

Poulomi Das June 17, 2016

Bollywood

Manmarziyaan Review: The Bollywood Love Triangle, Redefined

Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyaan is both a manifesto of modern love and a statement against Bollywood's unrealistic portrayal of love triangles. Aided by smart writing and affecting performances, the film subverts the nice guy trope and squashes the idea of the one true love.

Poulomi Das June 16, 2016

Bollywood

Jaane Kahan Gaye Woh Din: Why We Should Have Kept the Legacy of RK Studios Alive

Built by Raj Kapoor, the man labelled the Showman of India, the iconic RK Studios will make away for apartments. Could we not have treated it better? Given it a new lease on life, possibly as a contemporary cinema history museum?

Alka Shukla June 15, 2016

Bollywood

Why We Need Films Like Shanghai in the Age of Hyper-nationalism

Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai could easily have been adapted into a political potboiler with countless twists, item songs, and stereotypical portrayals of the bureaucracy. But, Banerjee refuses to go down the OTT route. Shanghai is an exercise in restraint. In a way, it can be looked as a balm for the hyper-nationalistic age we live in.

Parth Pandya June 15, 2016