‘Perfect Days’ – A Gandhian Advertisement for ‘Toilet Project’
My friends invited me to join them for the screening of ‘Perfect Days’ movie. In spite of my submission work, I decided to go for the screening as they mentioned…
Film Review
The twosome Salim-Javed ‘script’ gone wrong!
I watched the three-parts docu-series ‘Angry Young Men’ based on the lives and times of the writer duo Salim-Javed, with quite an attention, as both these men, despite the fact,…
Toronto International Film Festival 2024: A Cinematic Celebration in the Heart of Autumn
As Canada embraces the beauty of autumn and steps into the chilly onset of winter, the city of Toronto once again witnessed the curtain fall on the 'festival of festivals.'…
Thangalaan: An uproaring necessity to “Be The Light Unto Yourself”
Tathagata Buddha says: “Be The Light Unto Yourself!” Director Pa. Ranjith's Thangalaan is a surprising package that equals the making of Hollywood magnum opus of the 60’s 'Mackenna's Gold'. It's…
The Land of Solomon: A Visually Stunning Exploration of Identity and Belonging
Siddiq Paravoor's The Land of Solomon is a poignant exploration of the human spirit and the enduring power of identity, belonging and the value of one's roots. The movie follows Solomon who, with…
Evil Does Not Exist – Film Analysis
As this year's Venice Film Festival approaches its end, my thoughts are unexpectedly drawn not to a particular film but to the haunting music of Eiko Ishibashi—a melody that resonates…
Courtly Indifference To Sudra Persecution
In the past quarter century or so, New Marathi Cinema has come to be enriched by important contributions from several young directors, including Mumbai-based Chaitanya Tamhane. Tamhane’s debut film, Court,…
A Cinematic Extravaganza: 49th Toronto International Film Festival Set to Dazzle with Seven Indian Films
With the arrival of autumn winds signaling the end of summer, Toronto is gearing up for its most awaited event of the year—the 49th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The…
Film on the rich cultural heritage of textile mill workers wins national award
Ashok Rane’s documentary film ‘Aankhi Ek Mohenjo Daro’ (Yet Another Mohenjo Daro) on the cultural life of textile mill workers of Girgangaon in Mumbai is a very important document .…
‘Kharij’ – A Master’s Grapplings to Visibilise Hunger and Analyse Class Machinations
Can Kharij (The Case is Closed, 1982), one of the several memorable films that immediately come to mind whenever Mrinal Sen’s name is mentioned, be said to be a “hunger…
Countdown begins with an exciting lineup of cinematic excellence at the TIFF 2024
With just six weeks to go until the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2024, the excitement is building. Known as "The Festival of Festivals" in Canada, TIFF has announced the…
Laapataa Ladies (2024) review
There has not been a dearth of films exploring feminist themes and having feminist content in recent times, and it may be observed that most of these films have found…
Marathi film ‘Nach Ga Ghuma’ takes a comic-serious look at domestic labour issue
Paresh Mokashi’s Marathi film Nach Ga Ghuma is very good as was expected from the reputed maker of Harischandrachi Factory which was the Indian nomination for Oscars.. It is very…
‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ nuances the cinematic message of a historical event
We, a few comrades of Delhi, used to organize an annual program in the memory of Allah Baksh under the auspices of Samajwadi Manch. On the suggestion of Anil Nauria,…
Films building up Majoritarian Narratives: Swatantraveer Savarkar
Films are a very powerful medium which create a social understanding in various ways. Till decades ago we had films which reflected social realities and promoted progressive values. The films like ‘Mother…
The Visual Lyricism of Joshy Joseph’s Mizo Soundscapes
Art and culture in society are so interlinked that it is impossible to understand one wholly without considering or alluding to the other. Art influences culture and vice versa, and…
“The World As It Was”: A Masterly Documentary Film
Here’s a film about the 1950s – “The World As It Was” – that will tell you a great deal about life in the U.S.A. today, while disabusing anyone of…
Zone of Interest
by Thomas Klikauer and Danny Antonelli Zone of Interest is a film that every German child should be shown at the age of 15. Yes, they will not understand why…
Oppenheimer’s victory at the Academy Awards
The comprehensive success of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer at the Academy Awards has genuine and far-reaching significance. The biographical drama about the life and career of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967), known…
Poor Things (2023) review
Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest film Poor Things has just been released on digital and Blu-Ray, and this is a film I had been waiting to watch for a very long time,…
Working Inside/Out Films Division: The Discursive Documentary Practices Of Joshy Joseph
Established in 1948, under the patronage of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Films Division stands as one of the pioneering institutions in post-independent India that played a crucial…
It was Arakkonam which won at Last: Blue Star Movie in the Post Ram Mandir Inauguration Time
The movie on Caste Discrimination in Cricket gives a bigger lesson on Republic Day as it brought the message of Babasaheb for the citizens of this country where Ram Mandir…
Groundhog Day, Aristotle and Communism
Exploring Aristotle's virtue ethics and Marx and Engels's communist individual through the 1993 movie, Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day (1993) is a classic of philosophical cinema. I was first asked to watch…
Paradise: A Dystopian Anti-Capitalist Gem
The 2023 German film Paradise went virtually unnoticed by commentators on the socialist left. Yet, it is amongst the best dystopian anti-capitalist films produced in the decade. The film follows the life…
“B32 to 44 “: Unveiling Body Politics and Contemporary Women’s Struggles
This Indian film delves into the pervasive issue of women being unjustly reduced to mere physicality, shedding light on the challenges they face in today's society. The film "B 32…
Anand Patwardhan’s film on his family which fought for freedom but did not seek power
A key part in Anand Patwardhan’s recent acclaimed film is his apt observation that his two uncles Achyutrao Patwardhan and Raosaheb Patwardhan chose to go into political oblivion after independence.…
12th Fail – An Inspirational Movie
"12th Fail" is a brilliantly scripted movie, masterfully delivered by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It instils the belief that with energy and clear goals, anything is achievable in life. Similar to…
Four Died Trying: A Powerful, Riveting, and Masterful Documentary Series Begins
It is hard for those who have not lived through the shattering political assassinations of the 1960s to grasp their significance for today. Many might assume that that was then…
Ridley Scott’s Napoleon – A Review
Ridley Scott’s latest Napoleonic-era endeavor is based on the life of arguably the world’s most-studied King, Napoleon Bonaparte. Of course, it is titled “Napoleon”; as many autobiographies do but it’s…
The Killer (2023) review
David Fincher’s The Killer was one of the most anticipated releases of 2023. The favourable reviews from film festival screenings only added to the anticipation, and expectations around the film…
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) review
Martin Scorsese’s latest film Killers of the Flower Moon is based on the Osage Indian murders - a series of brutal killings of the Native American Osage people by white…
A Match (Sthal) That Makes a Difference
The shock that ended with the movie, A Match (Sthal) eventually brought in the coveted NETPAC award at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which concluded on Sep 17,…
In Jawan, Shah Rukh Khan makes us an offer we can refuse
Cast of Jawan Shah Rukh Khan: Hindi-speaking North Indian Rajput army-man Vikram Rathore and his son, the ‘casteless’ policeman Azad Nayanthara: Hindi-speaking upper caste (Bhumihar, Brahmin or probably Rajput given…
Three Indian Movies win TIFF 2023 Awards
As the breeze of September ushers in the season of change, Toronto City's 'festival of festivals' in the form of the international film festival came to a close yesterday. In…
Toronto International Film Festival Starts on 7th
There's a whiff of winter wind all over Canada. And it's the time the school year begins. The most sought-after summer starts moving into the rearview mirror of the year.…
Oppenheimer film reviews did not notice its injustice to victims of the bombing and the test
Shamefully much of the writing on the film Oppenheimer fails to grasp the film’s blatant failure to show the suffering of the people in Japan or of those living on…
Oppenheimer (2023) review: A transcendental cinematic experience
Wars change the course of human history - not only the present and the future, but also the past. The consequences of the two major world wars of the twentieth…
Barbie Pathologies: It’s All About a Doll
As the ancient Greeks reminded us, bone cold definitions as starting points are essential in any discussion. One current discussion, insignificant to posterity but amusing for advertisers and the presently…
An Oppenheimer Review Through the Lens of an Anti-War Activist
The ground-breaking movie Oppenheimer, despite its unsympathetic protagonist, packs a powerful anti-nuclear punch that makes it hard, if not impossible, to sleep after watching the film. For this reason alone,…
Barbie (2023): Ken, Men and Patriarchy
Every film has a target audience. Even the films that are “for everyone” are produced with a primary audience in mind. It can be said that the primary target audience…
Taika Waititi’s ‘Next Goal Wins’ to Premiere at TIFF 2023
New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi's latest comedy 'Next Goal Wins' is the first film selected for this year's Toronto International Film Festival. For the first time, the organizers have announced…
#Shout is scathing indictment on patriarchy and misogyny
“I don’t think rape is about sex. It is about violence and the need for power… “We talk of sexual violence. We don’t talk enough about patriarchy. We don’t talk…
Why we think that the ‘problems’ in Adipurush are deliberate choices
The past few months have been a topsy turvy ride for the Hindi cinema with several films falling like nine pins and at the same time few films taking everyone…
Naseem 1995 in India 2023
PM Modi said in a press conference that the religious minorities in India do not face any discrimination and that India’s democracy remains faultless during his infamous visit to the…
EO: Three Hooves up in High Heaven
Films featuring animals as screen filled protagonists, often in an imperfect, callous human world, have been made before. There was Robert Bresson’s 1966 Au Hasard Balthazar, which introduced audiences to…
An asteroid named Aribam Syam Sharma
There is a very famous story which I had repeated recently at the North East film festival conducted…
A Film A Day Won’t Keep the Doctor Away
Attending a documentary film pitching forum in 2014, I found myself being criticised not only for the film I had made, but for the level of privilege I was assumed…
Ennu Swantham Sreedharan – A Moving Tale of Examples that Go Over Precepts
Ennu Swantham Sreedharan (With Love, Sreedharan), a movie directed by Siddik Paravoor, is a true depiction of a real-life story of a family in Nilambur, Northern Kerala. It's a must-watch…
Why success of the movie ‘Pathan’ matters?
Recently the movie 'Pathan' was in the news primarily for two reasons. One was around being its supposed anti-Hindu content for usage of saffron colour in a song scene and…
Seeing Like the State: Eyes Right
Tanaav, a series, that released on an online platform, last month, tells a tale of human conflict. It is the tale within the tale that is worrying. Last month India’s…
Doctorhood, Mosquitos and the Adivasis: How DAMaN obfuscates the politics of public health in Odisha
When there seems to be a growing recognition of regional cine industries in recent years, the fanfare around Odia film DAMaN probably marks Ollywood’s resurgence with a strong populist overtone.…
‘Our Home’- A call to preserve community-based society
Romi Meitei has made 40 feature films and short films. His well-known movie Eikhogi Yum( Our Home ) was screened in the international competition section of the 27th International Film…
40th anniversary of ‘Gandhi’ movie by Richard Attenborough
This movie produced by Richard Attenborough which was released 40 years ago on November 30th, 1982, was classic in it's own right. Ironical that it took an Englishman to embark…
Kantara: a triumph for Indigenous Knowledge System
“And then both of them disappeared?!” - the kid asked his father with utter amazement. The father didn’t reply, only a strange smile spread across his face. The movie ended.…
Dali Land, another movie with Kingsley’s travelling talent
Be it the protagonist in 'Gandhi' or Darwan Singh, the instructor in 'Learning to Drive' or Itzhak Stern, the Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivor in 'Schindler's List', Ben Kingsley is a different…
Kantara: Film around Human-Nature conflict
In the human and nature conflict debate, conservationists argue for expansion of wilderness and wildlife and those advocating tribal rights advocate for increasing access of tribal rights over land, water…
Review: The King of Laughter
The Italian film festival which has opened in various cities of India from October 12, 2022, has brought with it a slew of interesting works by Italian directors which include…
Neo-Realist Films on the Lingering Impact of War Devastation
Charlie Chaplin called this the most beautiful Italian film he had ever seen, but then this is also an extremely tragic film. Based on the life of a family in…
PBS Spurious Narrative of America and the Holocaust
Introduction to a Spurious Narrative Excessive attention to the 80 year old World War II Holocaust prompts questions: “Why have constant reminders of the World War II Holocaust failed to…
A Peep into the spirit of China
Review of Ascension (2021) directed by Jessica Kingdon. Firstly, the prospect of an American documentary about China arouses too much speculation; additionally, it draws one's interest to know how…
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