Thappad: Questions our conditioning
The camera stops in front of some affluent Delhi bungalows where two cars are parked adjacent to each other in a driveway. On the left is an ambitious executive who is rushing to office, with his wife…
Chhapaak: Making a splash quietly
The visuals have ended. The screen has turned black. All you hear is Arijit Singh’s soulful voice. The movie has finished. Yet more than half the audience remains seated. Unstirring. Silent. I haven’t seen a movie end…
The 7 am Chronicles: An insight into life in India
For several of us, mornings begin with drinking a cup of chai and reading a slice of life from Indraneel Majumdar’s Facebook page. He writes a piece daily. And we are so addicted to his writing that…
Do paise ki dhoop, Chaar aane ki baarish: A review
The first thing which grabbed my attention as I was browsing through Netflix was the title of the film. Do paise ki dhoop, chaar aane ki baarish, sounded like something Gulzar might have written, and I was…
Chernobyl: A disaster which was waiting in the wings
“What is the cost of lies? It is not that we mistake them for the truth. The real danger is that if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognise the truth at all.” These are…
I’ve never been (Un)happier: Shaheen Bhatt’s candid story
This is a short book written by 29-year old Shaheen Bhatt, who has spent most of her adult life dealing with clinical depression. Shaheen Bhatt has an enviable pedigree. She is the daughter of celebrity parents: Mahesh…
Badla: Sujoy Ghosh’s taut thriller
It is after a long long time that I have seen an audience break into applause spontaneously at the end of a movie. The last time I witnessed that was in a Leicester Square cinema hall in…
Gully Boy: The divide and the angst
A young driver watches the owner’s daughter rush into the back seat of the plush car, her eyes streaming with tears. He shuts the door and drives the long drive back home in the silent night, craving…
Usha Uthup: The bad girl with Kanjeevaram sneakers
Dressed in a gorgeous Kanjeevaram silk saree, her trademark big bindi adorning her forehead, she climbs up the stage gingerly. She is 71 and her hair has streaks of grey. She looks the complete antithesis of what…
The Jaipur Literature Festival: A carnival to remember
Resplendent peacocks welcome you as you enter the gates of Diggi Palace. And then you are subjected to an airport style scan and frisking — only done a lot more politely and quickly. The vibrant colours of…
