Aseem Chhabra lists his top 10 films from this year's Sundance festival, a blend of narratives and documentaries made in the US and other parts of the world.
Pankaja and O'Sey Balamma bring deeply personal yet universally resonant stories to Sundance. They represent a new wave of South Indian storytelling, blending cultural authenticity with cinematic innovation, and mark an important step in amplifying regional voices on the international stage.
Ahida Sarmai, a special child with Down's Syndrome, makes her own space among Dhurandhar's biggest stars.
At Border Pillar 609 at Babliyan near Jaisalmer, the one thing that dominates the landscape is something entirely different, something central to our identity -- the Tiranga -- flying boldly above the blazing desert.
A glimpse of the film, via the trailer, indicates a sincerity of purpose and the shining of a light into those corners of India that remain dark amidst progress and prosperity, notes Deepa Gahlot.
'I have never met anyone so knowledgeable and with so much conviction, so much humility about everything he knew.'
Dhurandhar does not ask audiences to cheer blindly, notes Kumar Abhishek. It asks them to see how power operates in grey zones, and at moral cost.
Tu Yaa Main feels rather indulgent for a survival drama. You can see where it's headed, and it just grows tiresome after a point, observes Mayur Sanap.
'A story has to do something within me for me to say yes to it.'
The Union Budget backs skilling across animation, gaming and comics. But creators and studios confront a hard question: who owns what comes next?
Gandhi will now be seen in two upcoming OTT series -- Hansal Mehta's Gandhi, starring Pratik Gandhi in the title role, and Freedom at Midnight by Nikkhil Advani.
As Simon navigates auditions, rejection, and sudden attention, Wonder Man explores how power and celebrity intersect, often blurring the line between authenticity and performance.
Writer and director Anusha Rizvi returns to cinema after 15 years with warmth, wit and many a laughs.
In 2025, the top actresses remained absent, the ones who could have commanded strong roles. In any case, great roles for women are not even written in mainstream cinema, but when they get a role worth working for, they did their best.
'It's heartening to see that the festive energy is being driven not only by star-led blockbusters but also by fresh, content-rich films.'
'What do you think... those working in the film industry are illiterate people? Why don't you go and work with Bimal Roy?'
'It is daunting, for sure, because you're rowing upstream.'
New York's newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, flaunted his Indian roots during his first victory speech, quoting Nehru and playing 'Dhoom Machale'.
Colaba's character is also drawn from its strength. Seventeen years ago, Pakistani terrorists struck here -- at the core of Mumbai's soul -- in the deadliest attack ever seen in this country. 166 civilians and security personnel were killed in a battle that raged on for three days.
'Bollywood now pushing propaganda with #TheTajStory a film twisting history by showing the Taj Mahal as a temple. A country boasting of being the 4th largest economy is drowning in fantasy & communal myths. When propaganda feels ashamed, you know it's India 2025'
'Dhoom Machale...' The exuberant, celebratory track from the 2004 blockbuster Dhoom rounded off Zohran Mamdani's victory speech, more evidence that New York's newly elected mayor embraces his many identities with a light-as-souffle touch.
It's good to see Huma Qureshi help create a film which is as charming as it is empowering, without taking on the stridency that so many women-oriented films invariably adopt, notes Deepa Gahlot.
'One is not allowed to smoke on the sets of a Hollywood film even during a break.' 'When I asked an assistant to suggest some place where I could light a cigarette, he recommended the bad boys' corner -- where Jack Nicholson smoked.' 'However, I hesitated.' 'But when I was heading back to my chair after the shot, Jack Nicholson asked me if I wanted to join him for a smoke. We had a long conversation over cups of cappuccino.'
'It is a beautiful balance between traditional old-world sanskaars, and new generations opening up to new worlds without renouncing respect,' observes Sandeep Goyal.
It's going to be a record-breaking day at the box office on Thursday, August 13.
'It is for the first time that a film of mine will be released in theatres and Indian audiences will finally be able to buy tickets and experience it on a big screen, where cinema truly comes to life.'
Coolie is expected to be an unabashed celebration of the larger-than-life ethos of Rajinikanth, predicts Arjun Menon.
Sholay's Basanti is the face of women's empowerment and gender equality. That's why, half a century after the movie first released, we're still talking about her.
'What is it about the institution of faith that makes somebody get a sense of impunity, that they believe they can get away with anything?'
Atlee gives temporary relief from reality, by blinding us into a make-believe world where the perfect family hero and messiah makes the world a safer and equal place for all, explains Divya Nair.
'The government is distributing land in Ladakh as if they are selling cinema hall tickets.'
'When India opened its doors to the world, moving away from an agrarian to a market economy, everything, whether life or love, was commodified.'
'The flutters of excitement of a high-school romance, and then how life changes.'
'It has always been my dream to reach every Indian at a reasonable price.'
'I prefer calling myself a 'film activist' rather than a filmmaker,' Mahesh Kathi tells Radhika Rajamani/ Rediff.com
No author in the Malayalam literary canon has influenced and profoundly changed the way normal people interact with each other than the ever-relevant, eclectic yet elusive body of work left behind by MT Vasudevan Nair, notes Arjun Menon.
AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey admitted that club football 'is going through crisis' due to the uncertainty over the future of the country's top-tier league ISL and said a collective effort is needed to tide over it.
'He is the action hero born from our streets.'
'I didn't want to do a highlight reel with greatest hits of Yash Raj Films.' 'I wanted to do an actual story.'
