Siya captures the wounded soul of its protagonist with deeply felt grit and pathos, observes Sukanya Verma.
Fascinating new offerings from beloved auteurs as well as a steady supply of remakes and biopics colour the OTT scene this week. Sukanya Verma lists her picks.
Love Hostel stays focused on the murky present and revelling in its increasingly dark outcome. Despite the reach of social media and technology, this isn't the cushy, liberal India of mainstream culture. It's a lawless, ruthless, endless minefield where uncertainty and bigotry go hand in hand and patriarchy is a foregone conclusion, observes Sukanya Verma.
'There's this presence, a sense of patrolling and surveillance. And it's not coming from a place of safety.' 'It's coming from a place of 'You don't belong here'.' 'It's a malevolent force, the society at large is observing them.'
What makes Wonder Women brilliant is the breeziness of the events and issues it tackles without delving on it too much or surrendering to it completely, observes Divya Nair. Wonder Women Review
Gowri Ramnarayan explores the world of Kalki Krishnamurthy whose magnificent novel Ponniyin Selvan has inspired Mani Ratnam's latest film PS I.
'The reason why we have reached such depths is because of the breakdown of the rule of law, and not the political atmosphere.' 'Yes, the political atmosphere has aggravated the situation.'
'Anyone on Indian Twitter, Facebook, or any of the other forms of social media that matter (except elite forums like Instagram) understands instantly that it is dominated by upper-caste North Indian men.' 'Other voices are silenced and attacked,' says Mihir S Sharma.
FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week is back with a promising line up of models.
In the 18 years that she has been on tour, Sania Mirza was the standard-bearer for tennis in the country. Never before had an Indian player dominated from the back court with such conviction. Deepti Patwardhan Salutes the Incomparable Sania Mirza.
A film that calls itself Dehati Disco cannot be taken seriously, says Deepa Gahlot.
Bhasin, a prominent voice in the women's movement in India and other South Asian countries, breathed her last at a New Delhi hospital.
Supreme Court judge DY Chandrachud has expressed anguish over the withdrawal of a 'Karva Chauth' advertisement featuring a same-sex couple due to "public intolerance," saying there is a need to change the mindset of both men and women.
Twitter said it is a platform where "marginalised voices can be seen and heard, but we also have a public commitment to being apolitical. We realise that this photo may not accurately represent that commitment".
Trade pundits and quick think piece experts can speculate all they like, but what works at the box-office is a mystery as always.
Mammootty plays the despicable Kuttan with absolute integrity, observes Divya Nair.
Dangerous messaging punctuates every ounce of its storyline wherein dowry is normalised, the kidney is a small price to pay for it, observes Sukanya Verma.
Tejpal's lawyer said his client might have to say something which might expose certain facts in relation which should not be published in the media.
'What we see today is bargaining.' 'The man's family sets a price for him and then they start bargaining.' 'He is sold to the family that offers the highest price.' 'In this market, a woman is just a commodity to be sold because if she remained at home, it is a humiliation for the family.'
Director Neeraj Ghaywan explains why his cinema challenges the traditional notion of good and evil.
Darlings is a well-rounded effort by Jasmeet K Reen, supported by bold ideas and clever imagery, raves Sukanya Verma.
Joginder Tuteja looks at his biggest hits, and where you can watch them.
'Roses are red, violets are blue, let's smash the patriarchy, me and you'.
Aseem Chhabra presents his list of 10 international films that mattered to him, stories that he connected with and characters that gave him a better understanding of the human condition.
'If you persist in opposing the government, they set the ED or the NIA on you. And the courts have not given us much hope.'
The Delhi high court on Wednesday delivered a split verdict with one of the judges favouring striking down the provision, and the other holding it was not unconstitutional.
According to NHFS-5, over 75 per cent women justified men beating their wives in three states -- Telangana (84 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (84 per cent) and Karnataka (77 per cent).
Thrillers, horrors and real-life inspired stories dominate the OTT scene this week.
See how these celebrities turned heads at the 2021 Met Gala.
Sukanya Verma looks at a few other contenders from Bollywood movies who gave really, really good performances.
Sukanya Verma lists 10 knockout performances from the star.
Because it costs a shit-ton of money. Full disclosure: I won't accept a wedding ring that costs Rs 1L or less. But Rs 1L and more seems like a LOT of money. Enough for me to think about better ways to spend it. Stocks? Mutual Funds? SIPs? *GASP* NFTs and Crypto?
Lara Dutta nails her character's daunting temperament, Soha Ali Khan's sophistication is tailor-made for the part, Anya Singh conveys a tidy blend of shy and spirit, but it's Kritika Kamra's hilarious Kareena-fication that makes her the life of this willy-nilly game of thrones, observes Sukanya Verma.
'My hunger for characters, stories, and work is becoming even more insatiable.' 'I'm obsessed with films, characters, and this whole world.'
'Here is a woman who has got widespread appreciation for her work.' 'Social media was full of posts wanting her as the chief ministerial candidate.' 'This kind of popularity did not go well within the party.' 'See, today the party is Pinarayi Vijayan!'
In Jee Le Zaraa, Zoya Akhtar's swanky new road trip to self-discovery, our favourite gal pals Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt are set to take off on a whirlwind adventure.
'Nobody can put back and seal what the movement has unleashed -- conversation, awareness and support.'
Days after her remarks on hijab made headlines, Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu on Wednesday said as a youth of the country she simply shared her perspective when asked to comment on the issue.
There are so many female-oriented movies, from Mother India to Arth to Pink. But there are some absolute gems that never got their due.
'If you don't have children, that's also a problem.' 'There's no right way to live because everybody has an opinion about your personal life, and how you should live.' 'You have to listen to them, unless you can pick a fight with everyone.'
