In the biggest surprise of the night, Emma Stone grabbed the Best Actress trophy for the complex portrayal of a Frankenstein-like character Bella, in Yargos Lanthimos' electrifying and most original film Poor Things. Aseem Chhabra recaps the 96th Annual Academy Awards.
'Whenever people say to me that all my work looks unique, I say to them originality is the art of concealing your source.' 'You can't see the sources that I take from because usually, they are Indian.' 'But then Indians don't find my work Indian.'
'When I least expect it, I start to find traces of India in foreign lands.'
'I made it very clear even at the casting process that there was going to be a lot of nudity.' 'And I wanted to be sure that it would be done with ease.'
The show takes its own pace to pick up, but then when you least expect, it grabs you by the throat, notes Aseem Chhabra.
Aseem Chhabra's Top 10 Films/ Series from TIFF 2024 includes films that he watched for the first time in Toronto. The films were impressive due to their rigor, passion, unique storytelling style and sometimes exploring the vulnerable sides of big name stars.
'Find a name that changes the words honor killing and hopefully it includes the word murder.' 'If you use the words, you are trying to justify the murders.'
Rocky Aur Rani is definitely Karan's most subversive project, discovers Aseem Chhabra.
MS Dhoni or Sachin A Billion Dreams? Dangal or Mary Kom?
Aseem Chhabra lists his favorite 2023 films -- a healthy blend of Bollywood, Hindi indies and some of the best work that is being done in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali cinema.
'I never got respect as an actress.' 'But when I became a director and worked with actresses like Cate Blanchett and Jessica Chastain, I felt such pride of being an actress.'
'I have nostalgia for Ladakhi culture, which is common to both Muslims and Buddhists.' 'It is kind of a Buddhist way of life. You are compassionate and nice to each other.' 'You are good human beings.'
If there is one lesson we get from Depp vs Heard, it is that the American legal system is deeply flawed and the court of public opinion and social media make it harder for victims to get justice, observes Aseem Chhabra.
Piku, on the other hand, is a big hit.
'I think because India is a bigger country and Bollywood is such a well-oiled machine, the star thing has become so much bigger than the actor thing.'
Kohrra is a terrific ensemble piece but the two fine leads keep show glued together, applauds Aseem Chhabra.
'The problems that the film explores still remain. It was a different time when we made the film. We were young and we thought we could change the world.'
A look at the hits and misses of the week.
There is a world that Satyajit Ray created in his films that I wanted to be a part of -- as Durga bathed in the rain to Ravi Shankar's music; when Charulata sat on the swing regretting she never had a child; and Aarti stood up in defence of her colleague. Aseem Chhabra shares interesting memoris of Satyajit Ray on the latter's birth centenary on May 2.
Kangana Ranaut still reigns supreme!
Trade analyst Vinod Mirani gives us the box office verdict for the week.
The hits and misses of the week.
'India was 10 years old when Guru Dutt made Pyaasa, but even at that young age, its poets -- including the film's lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi -- appeared disappointed with the direction the country was taking.'
'Hope is about being more accepting of each other, the kind of solidarity and friendship that even our families may not be able to give.'
There are hundreds of fan clubs -- in Jalgaon, Beed, Chennai, Kolkata, Akola, Yavatmal, Bengaluru, Sitamarhi, New York, Canada, Nigeria etc. Every Indian city/town or a major country has a fan club for the man whose fan base has been estimated at 3.5 billion by Time Magazine.
'Pandi was promised something, that is not happening, so his anger is not of a villain's.' 'That's how all normal humans would react, or they stay silent.' 'Our violence is our silence. So in this world, everybody is innocent.'
Most critics have picked this film as a favourite that should be sent to the Oscar awards
'Usually, we are always worried that we are missing out something in life.' 'We are very keen for the audience to have this as a cinema experience in theatres.' 'You get the rare chance to be patient.'
The underlying message is clear: Please do not question Shah Rukh Khan's loyalty to India. He is Indian, loves his motherland. And he will continue to entertain India for as long as he can, applauds Aseem Chhabra.
The Gray Man is mindless fun, worth your monthly Netflix subscription, notes Aseem Chhabra.
Bollywood's original box office queen Vidya Balan cannot seem to get it right again.
'No Indian citizen should be humiliated by the US authorities.' 'And Shah Rukh Khan happens to be one of India's most well known citizens.'
But his nature, temperament, his skill to listen to others, and empathise with their pain and hardships will make him a far better president, a leader America has been longing for four years, notes Aseem Chhabra.
The hits and flops of the week.
Vinod Mirani gives us his weekly verdict.
'Mrinalda, the world, and for sure my world won't be the same without you,' Nandita Das tells Subhash K Jha.
2023 was a good year for international cinema with many strong films premiering at the Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto film festivals.
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