Coming up: Aarambh: 'Biggest Indian TV show ever'
A look at the hits and misses at the box office this week.
Can India really succeed when it leaves some of its underprivileged so far behind that they simply do not matter, asks Aseem Chhabra
The Oscars are only days away, and Rediff.com's Terrific Trio have already placed their bets.
On planes, on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Zee5, Hulu, MUBI, Kanopy, film festivals... Aseem Chhabra tell us how he watched 309 films in 365 days.
'I wish I could find a party that could offer the best of the three parties,' best-selling novelist Chetan Bhagat tells Rediff.com's Aseem Chhabra in New York.
'He personified the kind of debonair charm, sublime sensuality and unabashed romance women fantasise about,' says Sukanya Verma.
Delhi, which has gained infamy as one of the world's most polluted cities, has for some years now witnessed a sustained campaign from various quarters seeking a ban on firecrackers. While the Centre launched the newly approved, eco-friendly firecrackers earlier this month as a "safer and cheaper" alternative, the mood in the market is tepid, says Ritwik Sharma.
Looking at Shah Rukh Khan's unusual onscreen professions.
Javed Akhtar had the most terrifying experience of his life when he lost the power of his limbs for some time.
Will Priyanka start a family? Or does she have some career aces up her sleeve? Longtime Rediff.com contributor Aseem Chhabra, author of
'We want to be a nation at par with the best internationally.' 'But why is it in theatre we continue to have such low standards?'
A Death in the Gunj is not a happy film at all times, but it is very entertaining says Aseem Chhabra.
'Raj and DK have taken the effort to look at Moosa as a person.' 'Like, what happened to him?' 'What made him become a terrorist?' 'The emotional trauma that he might have had... that clicked for me.'
'There is never a safe choice in the movie business.' 'Everything is chance.'
'It was difficult, but we wanted to show an honest portrayal.' 'I was not trying to tear him apart.'
Two out of three times, the market has delivered positive returns.
'Once Attenborough had locked the shot, Jaffrey turned to Amitabh and told him in a very controlled but stern voice that he should never talk to an actor in between takes.'
'... and committed.' 'Priyanka had so much happening in her personal life...' 'Once we started, Priyanka rose to it.'
'Whenever we were low in energy and wanted support, we turned to him.' 'He has done a lot for me.' 'He did not leave any stone unturned to launch me.'
'People were apprehensive when I cast Nawaz. Especially after Sacred Games, people told me you are diminishing Manto.' 'But he is an actor and actors don't diminish.'
'Despite its noble attempts, tight editing, terrific sound design, good performances and a compelling story, Hotel Mumbai tells a big lie.'
'Sri Lanka has a large military presence in the north and east, where it is very difficult for the war-affected civilian population to move forward.' 'Right now the military is doing jobs that should be for the civilians. I would like to see Sirisena consider demilitarisation.'
'Watching American protesters get their act together so quickly and so forcefully only reminds me of all the resisting that Indians should have been doing for the last three years,' says Mitali Saran.
Fifteen years after 9/11, the Sikh Coalition, a non-profit organisation, turns to art to open American hearts and minds to the community.
Island City should not be missed, raves Aseem Chhabra.
In March 1972, The Godfather was first screened in a New York theatre. The movies were never the same again. Forty six years later, longtime Rediff film critic Raja Sen talks about why that film means that much, and how it led him to a unique tribute.
Aditya Chopra's film reminds us that a well-shot Bollywood romantic film can be so entertaining even when it does not offer anything new, says Aseem Chhabra.
'That night -- when Gandhi won Best Picture at the 1983 Oscars -- belonged to India and it meant a lot to a young student like me, who was trying to establish his Indian identity among the Americans around him.' Aseem Chhabra/Rediff.com, who worked as an extra on Richard Attenborough's acclaimed biopic, salutes the late legend.
'Rishi Kapoor was shocked and said, 'Woh sare log jinko main janta hoon, unki filmein main nahin kar raha. Aapko to main janta bhi nahin hoon.'
Kuch Kuch Locha Hai insults the intelligence of the audience.
The Big Sick is packed with delicious details, moments and scenes that makes the film stand apart as a smart rom-com, says Aseem Chhabra.
Aseem Chhabra salutes the late Italian Master and his cinema.
The apex court imposed four conditions on the marine.
Aligarh is a milestone in the history of Indian cinema that should start the much needed conversation about how India treats gays and lesbians, feels Aseem Chhabra.
Umrika, which won the audience award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, finally releases in India.
