Anurag Kashyap has a lot of talent, says Aseem Chhabra. He just needs to stop making films that are very similar.
'Deeply flawed, Sacred Games and Mirzapur come nowhere close to representing the diversity of stories from this country,' says Vikram Johri.
'I didn't even know where Bombay was before I came here.'
'What we have is 'masala redeemed' as opposed to just 'masala resurrected',' argues Sreehari Nair.
'When somebody comes forward in Hollywood, they don't risk losing their livelihood.' 'But here, they will risk losing their livelihood.' Richa Chadha opens up.
Directed and produced by Sohail Khan, Freaky Ali will release on September 9.
'We are the largest film industry in the world.' 'We employ millions and entertain billions.' 'We generate the highest amount of sales tax.' 'Our stars pay the highest amount of income tax.' 'All I would say is: Don't f*** it up!'
Sunil Grover is good but its Pankaj Tripathi who stands out with his bang on comic timing.
Mumbai Fables author Gyan Prakash stands by its cinematic outing, Bombay Velvet.
Despite the Delhi police's tarnished reputation in recent months, viewers find themselves rooting for Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary because he displays both vulnerability and remorse, observes Ranjita Ganesan.
'That only a certain Mumbai story -- look at Salaam Bombay and Slumdog Millionaire for other examples -- gets made when an international audience is as much a target as the desi viewer, should invoke questions of representation,' notes Vikram Johri.
The filmmaker, at the forefront of the criticism against the amended citizenship act, assured the students that he and many others stood behind the students in their long fight.
'The Telugu original with its brilliant rendering of the hero by Vijay Deverakonda works better than Kabir Singh.' 'It also has a sharper play of caste politics and raw authenticity of characters rooted in a local universe that gets lost in translation when it is remade for a pan-India audience,' argues Ritwik Sharma.
As means of transport or metaphor, the romance of trains is unmistakable in Hindi cinema.
Want to know what a film is about? Just read the title!
Huma Qureshi on what really defines beauty.
Paatal Lok is definitely a must watch show. The credit for its success goes to the writers who enthralled us with their unique characters, but also to the wonderful band of actors who grabbed the opportunity to showcase their frightening raw talent, notes Aseem Chhabra.
Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors is not a great show, but an efficient one, notes Sreehari Nair.
As we prepare to return to the land of silver screens and samosa, Sukanya Verma looks at notable theatre moments in Hindi films.
Former Censor Board chief and Julie 2 producer Pahlaj Nihalani takes on the film industry.
Katiyabaaz is as riveting and gritty as it is wildly funny at times; a must watch, says Sonil Dedhia.
'If we don't wake up and try all out to give audiences good content, they will move towards a new kind of cinema. We will become like Europe.'
The top posts on social media from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
Aseem Chhabra picks the finest Indian films in the 2010-2019 decade.
'It's not easy to perform in front of 5,000 people, who are standing right behind the camera. You have to remember the dialogue even when the crowd is shouting and saying things to you.'
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.
'I am a very confused and boring person in real life. I can't make quick decisions. If I am in the company of someone, especially a female, then that person would run away from me due to boredom.' Getting inside Nawazuddin Siddiqui's skin.
If Indian storytelling can deliver, it can make the entertainment industry an engine of economic growth and a substantial contributor to GDP, says Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
'Are we seeing the beginning of the communalising of one of the most iconic film industries in the world?' asks Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
Aseem Chhabra lists 10 of his favourite films that played in various sections at the 74th Cannes Film Festival.
The great pity is that Mr Siddiqui has a remarkable, even inspiring, story to tell, feels Sunil Sethi.
Sukanya Verma looks back at the decade gone by, in the movies.
'The best Indian movies today are ones that portray life as "something that doesn't end when the movies do".' 'There's no real arc to traverse or easy lessons to learn. And Irrfan and Nawazuddin -- who can both swerve a movie purely on the strengths of their instincts -- are just the perfect actors for this kind of movie sensibility,' says Sreehari Nair.
Does Manmarziyaan feature in your list?
Bigg Boss 12 doesn't boast of a remarkable line-up but there are a few eye-catching inclusions that should keep the show in the news for the next few months, feels Sukanya Verma.
Bombay Velvet spends too much time on period details and loses focus, notes Aseem Chhabra.
Here is a look at some of Aseem Chhabra's favourite memories of 2020 in Hindi cinema, performances by well-known and new actors, special moments in films and shows.
How do you even define a movie that primarily exists as an invitation to its audience -- an invitation to come and merely laze around with a set of interesting characters, asks Sreehari Nair.
If one drops the book-versus-series chatter, is Sacred Games watchable? Very much so, promises Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
'I don't care about how people are used to seeing me -- that is their problem. They make little compartments in their heads and they want to fit everybody into that, but I don't really abide by it.' Richa Chadha, in a candid chat.
