of course, i first heard about it on twitter. it started with all the talk of the m word. yes, masturbation. unbelievable, unheard of… literally a word never ever heard perhaps in the context of an indian film. what am i saying, a word never heard in the public space of the country… even at home, i mean really? that too, girls? right wing trolls went after swara bhaskar, also sonam kapoor, two of the lead actresses, both outspoken young…
the tiny dark man in spotless white dhoti and panjabi – in bengal the kurta has been called that for a very long time – had just reached the palm tree at the end of the unpaved gravel strewn path leading up to the house. rimi peered out of the window, her eyes getting brighter with each step the man took, as she unconsciously closed the book lying on the desk. she’d study later. now, it was time for bismil…
when exactly was it that the word handsome connected to something that actually existed in my world? when did handsome begin to have meaning? when did it leap out of fairy tale, and settle on a real human being? surely it wasn’t when i was only nine? how terrible precocious. but as with children usually, there was no fudging, this was pure instinct. the man indeed was handsome. for almost fifty years now, i’ve not had any reason to change…
Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin! A woman of substance, a symbol of bravery and an icon to look upto, Neerja was all this and much more. Director Ram Madhvani recreates the last day of this 23 year old wonderful soul, who was killed brutally by three hijackers who boarded the flight in Karachi, back in 1986. Neerja Bhanot was the head purser, who kept her cool, followed her duties diligently and saved the lives of over 300 passengers,…
This Uber driver counselled me today on the importance of having children. With a rather disconcerting directness, he asked me whether I was married. Then went on to inquire if I had kids, planned to have kids and then explained, “Continuity of life. That’s what I tell my daughter too.” I didn’t need to know why he assumed I would have a similar outlook, as his family, to starting a family. He knew me, just as so many of my…
get your chiffon saree, said my friend durga whom you may know if you’re a regular at writersbrew, and jhumkas… and dance with the hero as per tradition. i guffawed staring at the message; we were waiting at the airport, about to take the flight to zurich. switzerland has always been a favourite for hindi film song sequences because there are so many beautiful locations like the metropole hotel in geneva or lake geneva to film at. one moment you…
i was seventeen when shatranj ke khiladi was released. it was satyajit ray’s first film in any language other than bengali, it had hindi film stars acting in it, even european actors, amitabh bachchan was the narrator. and the man who had played gabbar singh just two years before in the blockbuster superhit film sholay, was the legendary poet king of awadh: singer, dancer, thumri composer, who even dressed up as krishna and frolicked with his kathak dancing gopis. amjad…
Nervous about starting something new? Feeling lonely, uninspired or just bored? Our recommendation for the weekend watch is a charming movie that I find never fails to make my heart go warm and fuzzy. Even better, it also makes my mind feel abuzz with inspiration and conviction. Dare to dream. Find out time from your hectic life to love freely, deeply and completely. There is no harm in doing what you enjoy, but whatever you do, do not merely drift in…
This is a story of a famous and a highly loved dance troupe that suddenly faces failure, tries hard to gain back its reputation and eventually succeeds! But trust me, the journey to regain their lost glory is not at all heroic! This movie fails at so many places that it’s not even funny! 2 and a half hours of non-stop torture! Very poorly acted and directed! Inspite of casting fresh talent (Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor) and inspite…
**spoiler warning** After the refreshing Tanu Weds Manu, its sequel did not impress me much. Kangana Ranaut, as the protagonist, has undoubtedly done a tremendous job, especialy in her Haryanvi avatar. However, the story lacks substance. It’s one of those confused love stories where the actors have no clue why they hate each other to begin with and how suddenly, without any reason at all, they fall back in love. I understand that you don’t need a reason to…