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.
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.
'I want to show bearded men actually caring and loving for their sons or a woman from Pakistan in a position of power. How radical is that?'
This year's Golden Globes was a test to see if Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another is still riding on an unstoppable train, similar to one that Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer rode on in 2023, observes Aseem Chhabra.
'...including my baby sisters, age three and one.' 'My dad was humiliated, and he started screaming at them.'
Aseem Chhabra ranks the Best of 2025's films that released in theatres, or went directly to OTT platforms.
With his killer smile, the sex symbol image, Robert Redford would go beyond just being an actor, remembers Aseem Chhabra.
Legendary actor-director Robert Redford, best known for films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, All The President's Men and Ordinary People, has passed away at the age of 89.
'There have been multiple cases of people being shot for pulling into someone's driveway because they made a wrong turn or ringing the wrong bell because they made a mistake.' 'That is also the pathway to fascism.' 'The way you divide people is to make them fear each other. Then a strong man can come in and say, "I will protect you".'
'Every day you're learning and wanting to find something new.'
Sabar Bonda is a tender, and exquisitely crafted slice-of-life drama that taps into universal human desire of making a meaningful connection with another human being, observes Mayur Sanap.
Her statement comes soon after Deepika Padukone was ousted from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit for not budging from her eight-hour work day due to motherhood, among other demands.
This year's Sundance Film Festival was rich with films and the theatres were warm, even as temperatures outside dipped to below freezing point. It snowed only once but the sidewalks remained slippery for a few days.
'But when we actually express ourselves, sometimes our parents can surprise us, because they just love their children.' 'Sometimes it's just that simple. That is what I wanted to show in this film.'
'October end, during a checkup for an autoimmune thing I got a shock diagnosis: a routine scan revealed a small malignant tumour in the kidney. Utter bolt from the blue.'
The Lunchbox director Ritesh Batra's Masterchef and Oscar and Emmy winner Megan Mylan's After My Garden Grows were among five films that won grants from the Sundance Institute and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to make films focused on hunger and poverty.
'Konkona just walked up, and both of us froze. She was tearing up, and I was like this is unbelievable.' 'We had Tannishtha Chatterjee, Divya Dutta, Rasika Dugal, Dia Mirza... women I've idolised.'
Reader Dimple Choudhary has sent us a photograph.
Debutante director Geetu Mohandas is excited as her film Liar's Dice is the only Indian film to get an official entry at Sundance Film Festival.
Coming of age, cyclones, conscience, cubicles, catchwords for OTT this week.
'I have always looked at people and said, 'You just have to accept. You just have to love. You just have to let this person be and the trouble would be less.' 'But we keep complicating things, and that is the tragedy -- our desire not to understand.'
Aseem Chhabra picks his top 10 Indian films of 2024, which includes films that have had theatrical releases or are streaming on OTT.
What beauty means to Rakul... Malavika is tired of adulting... Sobhita introduces us to her Avengers...
'...just be neutral about everything.' 'I will just take life as it comes.'
'The flutters of excitement of a high-school romance, and then how life changes.'
Despite the mediocrity at large, these films had me in raptures for the emotions they evoked within as a cheering audience, critic and cinephile.
'We are driven by a passion for storytelling and a commitment to bring fresh, diverse narratives to the forefront.'
Richa-Ali go to Sundance...Sidharth feels at home in Delhi... Harshvardhan leads a van life...
The couple announced the news on Instagram, with a caption: 'A tiny heartbeat is the loudest sound in our world.'
Namrata Thakker picks her favourite looks and asks you, dear reader, for your opinion too!
'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.'
'People had a perception that I may be angry as a person.' 'Or I'm older than I really am.' 'Or I can't speak in English because of the characters I've done at the beginning of my career.'
'I went to a school in Baroda, where if the boys harassed us, the teachers pulled the girls aside and said, "Oh, your skirts are too short".' 'They made us feel ashamed of having any sexual feelings or having bodies that were growing up to be a young women.'
'Rakesh's life is hard, but he knows how to find joy.' 'He doesn't think his life's value comes from money. He sees no shame in his poverty.'
Aseem Chhabra rates the movies he's watched in 2023, and tells you where you can watch them!
''I don't revisit any of my work once it's complete because I'm very self-critical.' 'I will probably exclaim, "Oh God, such bad acting!"'
After winning awards at Sundance and Cannes, Director Shaunak Sen's All That Breathes has now been nominated for an Oscar in the Documentary Feature Film category.
'I am a non-resident Indian. I didn't come to India to shine a light on its negative aspects.' 'I came to India to showcase what I think are remarkable aspects of India and Indians on a global scale.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances